Hunter's Heart
by alsnkey16
Summary: "She had so much hope for the baby" was the determination that fueled Daryl to step up. When Chaos fell on the prison. Daryl's heart hurt he had to hope, that Carol was still alive. This is shortly after lil' asskicker comes into the world, and when Carol is lost in the tombs believed to be dead. Daryl steps up goes on the formula run with Maggie. This will be CARYL. M for language
1. Hope

_**A/N 1**_

 _ **This story has been on my computer sitting in the files collecting dust since sometime in Season Three. I'm thinking this will be another multi-chapter, got a few already written. It takes place around the time in the prison when Carol goes missing after T-Dog was bitten. Daryl doesn't want to believe that she's dead. He steps up after Lori's death to save little**_ asskicker _ **.**_

 _ **Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!**_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the walking dead.**

* * *

 **Hunter's Heart ~ Chapter 1 ~ Hope**

"What the hell happened?" Rick shouted to Beth, as they came running up from the courtyard. Daryl listened as killed a few more walkers that were in the courtyard.

"The gate was open!" Beth cried back to him,

"Where's Lori, Carl everyone else?" Rick growled out.

"Maggie led Lori and Carl into C-block!" Hershel shot back to him. Beth was holding onto her dad tight, silently crying.

"T was bit!" Beth cried,

"Anyone else?" Rick questioned,

"I couldn't tell," Beth said, shaking her head, and looking at her Dad.

"Stay put!" Rick cried out and ran over to help Daryl and Glenn.

As they are killing more walkers, and running around the courtyard.

Glenn ran up to Rick, "Those chains didn't break on their own. Someone took an ax or cutters to em" Rick looks over to the gates at the two prisoner's over there.

"What you think they did it?" Glenn asked, staring at the two prisoners in the distance.

Daryl turned and looked towards the prisoners as well.

"Who else?" Rick growled,

Daryl was looking around the courtyard for more walkers, and his eyes caught Rick's when they moved to the prisoners. Just as they were going to move to question the prisoners, the alarms started sounding around the courtyard, ringing a dinner bell for more walkers to come down on them.

Daryl growled, "Oh! You gotta be kiddin' me!" Daryl moved around looking up at the alarms, as Rick shouted his name, throwing him the keys, Daryl caught them, slipped them on his belt as Rick started to shoot the alarms. But that wasn't turning them off. So he ran with Rick down to the two prisoners, his bow at ready, and he restrained himself not to shoot them.

Rick was yelling furiously at them, and asking about the backup generators. Oscar explained that he'd worked down there only for a few days, but he could lead them to the room so that they could shut them down. Daryl didn't fully trust him, and he was confident that Rick didn't either, but they had no choice, they had to get those damn alarms off. Them sounding was bringing a shitload of walkers to the fences of the prison, and there was no sure way that those fences were gonna hold. Still Daryl kept himself alert to everything going on around them, and they shot Walkers as they moved along.

Once in the generator room, things became pretty clear fairly fast. One of the other prisoners and Rick were locked in a fight, and Daryl had his hands full with the walkers at the door. Finally, having enough of trying to keep them out, he was pretty sure that he could take them out, so Daryl let the door fall open, and he took the walkers down. Panting, things had escalated with Rick, and the prisoner, and Oscar holding a gun trained in on Rick, Daryl snuck up behind, until finally Oscar turned the gun on the prisoner and blew the man's head off. Daryl swallowed, and his eyes found Ricks as Oscar, gave him his gun back.

Then they hurried and cut off the alarms, and decided what they were going to do next to cleanup this mess.

* * *

Daryl, Rick, and Glenn moved deeper into the tombs after they got the alarms cut off, Beth and Hershel had just told them that they had seen Carol and T-Dog got through the door after fighting off some walkers, it looked like T had been bitten.

Moving quickly, as they were pretty sure they were on T-Dog's and Carol's trail, Daryl had been following the blood trail, there was a lot of it, and it was human blood, not Walker black. Daryl knew it was a bad bite, the only thing he didn't know was if it was Carol's blood too. His heart was racing in his chest. As Rick cried out Lori's name, Daryl kept silent. He didn't want to draw more attention than not. But he wasn't going to get after Rick about it, it was his wife, and if Daryl had been crying out Carol's name he'd appreciate the same. Let him do what he needed to do. They were all just barely holding together as it was. Daryl swallowed thickly when he saw a body ahead. It was T-Dog, he looked at Glenn, who choked out a ragged breath at the sight, and turned to Rick shaking his head sadly. Daryl walked away from the two of them, seeing a piece of fabric on the ground, he bent to look at it and pulled it into his fingers. His heart stopped beating a second. Then pounded painfully in his chest, he picked up the gun right next to it. Both were Carol's.

As Daryl held Carol's scarf in his hands in the tomb, tears pricked in his eyes, and he felt a faint lump fill his throat. 'This is Carol's scarf' Daryl was speechless. Rick's gaze left the mangled body that was once T-Dog his gaze going up to meet Daryl's.

The hunter, was stalk still, his eyes unfocused. Rick felt tears prick in his eyes and swallowed down the lump in his throat as he walked over to Daryl. But Daryl didn't seem to notice him, as he stared down at the scarf in his hands.

"We'll find her, brother." His voice was thick with emotion. Carol meant a lot to him, but he knew, she meant a whole lot more to Daryl, the two of them had been close since what happened to Sophia. They'd all seen it, they all knew that the two of them loved each other, but he was certain that the two of them didn't know it. Rick placed his hand on Daryl's shoulder, and felt him shudder, and drag in a ragged breath. He steeled his features and nodded.

"We'll find her." He rasped, nodding and turning towards the door. Rick looked back at Glenn, who had taken in the whole scene. Glenn made sure that T wouldn't turn, as he looked back up at Rick. Between the two of them, Rick grabbing T's shoulders, and Glenn his feet they dragged T-Dog's body behind Daryl.

"Come on," He said to Glenn, as they followed the hunter. Daryl was taking down any walker in their path, swinging his bow up like a bat, or sinking his hunting knife into a walker's skull. He was leaving a corpse, after corpse, on the tomb's floor. Following the path, they were sure that Carol would have taken, if she had been able to escape. Rick could understand Daryl's anger, and he felt the same way in finding Lori. Rick still loved Lori, and he just didn't know what to do with the fear that he carried over what would happen when she finally gave birth to the baby. He was moving at a fast clip, almost reckless, if you could call the hunter reckless, he was on a mission. They searched through those tombs thoroughly, but hadn't found a trace of Carol.

Daryl finally stepped back, taking over for Rick as they got back to C-block being the stronger of the two. He helped them lay the big man down, then Daryl found a blanket and covered his friend.

Making their way out of the cell block, and into the bright sunshine, they found Beth and Hershel only. Daryl who'd been hoping, that he'd find Carol just out in the yard, was once again devastated that she wasn't. His heart was in his throat, but he swallowed that emotion down and fingered the scarf that he'd stuffed in his pocket. Daryl refused to believe that she was dead, she couldn't be he'd find her. He couldn't lose her he wouldn't accept that.

Hershel, nodded at him as they walked back out into the yard. "Where are the others?" He asked Daryl, who'd been the first out he just shook his head sadly.

"T-Dog, Carol?" Hershel's eyes met the hunters. He didn't like what he saw in them.

"Walker's got him," Daryl muttered, his chest tightened, and he rubbed at it.

"Carol?"

Daryl's gaze dropped,

Rick swallowed, and looked up at Hershel.

Daryl was fingering Carol's scarf, "I'll find you," He whispered, and stuffed the scarf back down into his pocket. And started to head back towards the tombs, only to stop short when he saw, Maggie, and Carl walking out of the doors and Maggie was clutching something in her arms. Something small, like a newborn, he searched for Lori and didn't see her.

Carl looked as if he'd been crying, and then he huffed out a breath when he saw Rick walking over to them, and Maggie was sobbing, and shaking her head unable to say a word.

Rick stumbled and started over, "Where is… where is she?" His voice broke as he began to understand what was happening, and starts to stumble towards the prison, but Maggie tries to stop him.

"No! Rick, don't!" Maggie sobs, as she drops her hand when she realizes he was beginning to understand. Rick starts crying, and looks towards his son, dropping his weapons, and collapsing forward on himself.

"Oh no… No! No!" He cries, folding over, and looking at Carl.

Maggie stumbles forward with the young baby in her arms, sobbing, shaking her head at Glenn as he tries to comfort her.

"Ahhh!... No!" Rick crumbles to the ground, lying on his side, and bawling.

It was heart wrenching, and Daryl closed his eyes, trying to shut the image out of his mind, tears pricked behind his closed lids, and an even larger lump filled his throat that he couldn't swallow this time. He let out a slow breath, and another and he felt more like himself again.

Daryl, swallowed and slowly walked over to Rick was kneeling there, he wasn't crying anymore, but he was just sitting there, "Rick? You with me?" Daryl knelt down, moving his hand in the sheriff's face, "Rick?" Daryl concerned about Rick, kept watching him until he heard Hershel talking, so he straightened and walked back over to the others.

Hershel stepped over as Daryl came over to them wanting to have Hershel take a look at Rick, but they were looking over the baby at the moment. "Let me see the baby" Hershel called out.

Daryl walked over "What are we gonna feed it, we got anything a baby can eat?" Daryl called out gruffly.

Hershel met his eyes after looking over the baby girl, "The good news is she looks healthy. But she needs formula, and soon, or she won't survive."

Daryl felt something snap inside him, "Nope, no way, not her. We ain't losing' nobody else, I'm goin' on a run." Daryl growled out, pulling his crossbow over his head gearing up.

"I'll back you up," Maggie called out to him, Daryl nodded, as he was moving away slightly.

"I'll go too," Glenn said.

Daryl nodded at Glenn and Maggie, "Ok, think where we're goin'," And Daryl turned to Beth, pulling her away from the others, and whispered, "Beth, kid just lost his mom, his dad ain't doing so hot." He murmured,

"I'll look out for him" Beth nodded at Daryl, meeting his eyes. Daryl nodded, and looked over to the two prisoners calling out to them, "You two get the fence! Too many pile up, we got ourselves a problem! Glenn, Maggie vámonos!" Daryl called out, walking backward, towards where the cars were parked.

"Rick!" Maggie cried out as Daryl watched Rick move towards the prison like on a mission, with an ax in hand. Daryl just shook his head and ran towards the vehicles he didn't have time for that.

"Get the gate!" He called out to the two prisoners, yet again, everyone was still standing around like they were in a daze, he was getting frustrated. "Come on. We're gonna lose the light!" Daryl shouted at all of them.

Glenn ran up beside Daryl, "There's a Piggly Wiggly on 85." He started,

"No, the baby section's been cleared." Maggie shook her head, "Lori asked me to keep an eye out, I haven't had much luck." She told them both,

Daryl pulled his crossbow off from around his shoulders, "Is there any place that hasn't been completely looted?" He looked at them.

"We saw signs for a shopping center just North of here," Glenn told him,

Maggie shook her head and looked at Daryl, "Yeah, but there's too much debris on the road. The car will never get through there." She said,

Daryl cleared his throat, as he checked the level on his bike "I can take one of you." He grumbled, while pulling on his vest, and looking at the motorcycle. Daryl knew he shouldn't go alone. People needed people, but he was in a hurry, he wasn't losing anyone else that day, and Carol… Carol had so much hope for that baby. She was gonna live.

"I'll go," Maggie said, and Daryl nodded.

Glenn walked over, shaking his head, "No, Maggie, after everything that you've been through, okay, I'll go." Glenn took her hands in his,

Maggie shook her head, "I want to go, for Lori, I have to" she whispered,

"Okay. I love you. Be safe." Glenn leaned in and kissed her.

Maggie would go with him. He waited as they kissed, and got on and straddled his bike. Maggie got on the motorcycle behind him. "Hold on," He told her gruffly when he started the Triumph. When he didn't feel her hands, he shot a look over his shoulder, "Wrap 'em around my waist or yer gonna fall off, no reason ta get yerself killed." He waited until he felt her scoot closer to him, and her hands came to rest on his belly, her legs just brushing the outside of his.

"You guys be careful," Glenn told them.

* * *

Daryl nodded, and started moving forward, his legs walking the bike until it was moving fast enough and took off towards the front gate, and Oscar opened it for them. Daryl had to swallow down a lump that filled his throat yet again at that normally it was Carol seeing him off, and telling him to stay safe, and he gives her a nod. Once again, he felt tears prick his eyes, but blinked them back as he left the gate, and sped towards somewhere that had baby formula, food or anything.

They'd been on the road for a little over an hour, and each place they'd stopped, it had been a bust. Daryl had stopped the bike, there was a tree blocking the road, and they had to stop and look at the map to see if there was anything else around.

Maggie was standing beside him, pointing at the places they already had hit, and growing more and more emotional. She was quietly sniffling, and wiping her eyes.

Daryl winced and reached for the rag that he carried in his back pocket and held it out to her. "It's clean, just changed it out this morning." He whispered, holding out the rag to her with a nod of his head.

Maggie took it with a grateful nod. She wiped at her face, but the tears just kept coming. Daryl turned away when he heard a walker shuffling their way. He pulled his crossbow off his shoulder, and took aim, and the Walker fell to the ground. Daryl walked over and retrieved his bolt, using his boot, he braced it against the walker's head, and pulled the bolt out it came out with a squelching sound, and Daryl wiped the bolt off on the walker's chest. Bending, he then reloaded the bow, and straightened and slung his bow and quiver back over his shoulder when he turned to walk back, he saw that Maggie was watching the trees as well, her eyes were still damp, and she was still sniffling, but she was alert to her surroundings.

"Sorry…" She sniffed,

Daryl frowned, "Ain't nothing ta be sorry bout." He muttered gruffly,

"I know I'm just…" She started to cry again, and Daryl chewed on his bottom lip. Trying to think of anything he could say to her, he felt like an ass, for just watching her cry.

He cleared his throat, "Was she bit?" He asked his tone soft. He wanted to know what happened, why the baby was here, but no Lori, they hadn't always gotten along, but they'd all become a family to him, more of a family he'd ever had, and that family had taken a huge loss today. He swallowed thickly.

Maggie sniffled, and crossed her arms in front of her, tears flooded her eyes again and fell down her cheeks unnoticed. Daryl felt like an ass, he chewed on his bottom lip, shifting back in forth on his feet. Hesitantly, he brought his hand up and put it lightly on her shoulder. "No, but I had to cut her open, to get the baby out." She sobbed, "There was something wrong, she started to go into labor in the tombs, and we couldn't get her back to Dad." She swiped at her eyes with his rag. "Daddy, only taught me the basics, I-I, I have never done a C-section before, and she didn't want to lose the baby." She cried as she told him what she had to do.

"I'm sorry," He said, shaking his head sadly, "Did you…" He trailed off not able to finish, he biting his lip.

"Carl did," she paused, and gulped in a ragged breath, "He said it was his mom, he'd do it so he shot her so she wouldn't turn, Lori, she ahh, she didn't want Rick to have to…" Her voice cracked, and more tears spilled down her cheeks, "I-I she asked me to, I... she the baby..." She covered her face with her hands and sobbed.

Daryl felt like she'd punched him in the gut as he felt tears prick at his eyes, it was all too much. Carl, had to end it? He felt terrible for asking Maggie, and she was bent forward folded in on herself, he couldn't leave her like that.

But he didn't know what to do as he stepped closer and hesitated. He wasn't good with words, but hell, he could hug her, he wasn't a hugger. He'd hugged Carol after Sophia... Stop thinking!

'Fuck it,' Daryl thought. Awkwardly, he stepped forward, reaching out he gathered Maggie close. He didn't like touching people, but he couldn't stand to see her sobbing anymore. "Shh..." He soothed, "You did what you had ta, with it only being you-" His voice broke slightly, and he cleared it. "You said something was wrong, she told ya to do it, it ain't yer fault." He rubbed her back awkwardly, letting her cry into his chest, he remained alert, eyes moving around them to make sure no more walkers were gonna come out of the woods and try to eat them.

After a while, Maggie's sobs quieted, and she stepped back, and her eyes shot up to his, and she felt terrible, here she was crying and putting all this on him when he'd lost Carol when Glenn told her she'd immediately wondered how Daryl was handling it. "Oh, my god, I'm so sorry about Carol," She cried, her hands going to his chest, he stiffened, even though his hands were still on her shoulders, he dropped them to his sides.

This shocked Daryl, not that Maggie was sorry, but his reaction to her words. His eyes burned, and a painful lump filled his throat, and his chest tightened to the point where it was painful to take a breath. Daryl swallowed thickly, his throat working to hold back the emotion that was bubbling up to the surface without his permission. His breathing had turned ragged, as he fought against the emotions trying to break him.

His eyes darted around them to make sure they were safe, still no walkers had come out of the forest, he almost wished they had, it'd help, he didn't want to break. Daryl couldn't afford to, but his heart had other ideas. Merle'd be calling him a pussy at this moment, but he couldn't stop the emotion from bleeding into his heart, and he knew it showed on his face. Daryl couldn't lose Carol without her knowing. He wasn't sure he could live in a world where she wasn't. There wasn't a life to be had without Carol in it, and that was festering as he tried to swallow down that painful lump.

Daryl took a ragged breath, and swallowed thickly, his face twisting, as he met Maggie's eyes, "She had so much hope for the baby-" He got out, but his voice came out rough like he'd swallowed glass.

The emotion on Daryl's face was so raw, and pain filled that it broke her heart, without thinking Maggie launched herself at him, "Oh, Daryl…" Maggie cried as she threw her arms around his neck. She felt him stiffen, and the breath hitch in his chest, but then after a moment, his arms came up, and they tightened around her waist, he tucked his face into her neck, and she felt wetness there hit the side of her neck.

Maggie pretended not to notice, knowing Daryl, probably would be embarrassed if she squeezed him a little harder if she knew he was crying. Maggie wouldn't mention it. She just held him. How could she be so heartless, she'd seen Rick fall apart, and Daryl had just stepped up. She knew he had to be hurting, and he had been. Maggie couldn't help it, she squeezed him tightly. She felt him let out a heavy breath, and his arms tightened around her waist.

It had cut deeply into his composure when Maggie, said she was so sorry about Carol, and when she'd launched herself at him, and he'd caught her, and then at first he didn't know what to do. He'd never been hugged before just because he was feeling sad. It cut into him sort of like when Carol had come to him in the bedroom after he'd got that bolt in his side, and she'd told him he was just as good as Shane and Rick. But then he'd realized Maggie was probably trying to comfort him if he'd had a mirror and saw his face, and he'd probably been comforting himself too. Shit, Merle'd be calling him a pansy ass.

Daryl hadn't cried in years, he couldn't remember the last time he did, and didn't remember what it felt like, but when he felt the wetness on his face, he wanted to lash out and scream, but instead he just tucked his face into Maggie's neck. The World be damned, he could break if he wanted. But still, his head and his heart were at war, as he battled to compose himself. And it didn't help having Merle in his head calling him a pussy either, but he pushed that all away, and took Maggie's comfort, because even Daryl Dixon had his limit. Carol was his limit, and losing her before he could tell her he loved her... _Loved?_ _Did he love her?_ He'd never had that, and God... Did he just want to curl up into a ball and not be an adult right now. But he'd suck it up for her, for Carol because he knew she was still alive, Daryl sniffed back the rest of his tears, and pinched the bridge of his nose, wiping his eyes before he stepped back, then nodded at Maggie.

The raw emotion on Daryl's face had thrown her, she'd never seen him emotional at all, not that she didn't think he was capable of it. But it had thrown her and had also fueled them both. His eyes were dry now, and there was determination in his eyes. "Alright, we ain't losin' that Lil girl, Carol-," His voice faltered, "Wouldn't want that we're gonna find lil girl some food!" He folded the map, placing it in his saddle bag on the bike and then straddled the bike waiting for her to get back on it behind him. This time, she immediately put her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his back. He'd instructed her to do that when it had gotten colder out. They were losing the light, but he estimated they had at least an hour and a half left, but they weren't going to bunker down anywhere. That baby needed food, and it needed food tonight. With his eyes alert, he drove the bike down in the ditch and around the downed tree. They barely made it by on the motorcycle, had they had a car, they would have had to reroute once again.

They drove another twenty miles, around the obstacles that in the old world would have taken thirty minutes, but with the debris in the road, and the cars blocking, and the occasional walker it took another hour. It was another thirty minutes before sunset now, and Daryl figured as he looked at the shadows around them. Maggie's hands tightened around his middle when they read a sign that said 'Carolyn's Daycare Center.' Daryl turned off the road, and onto a gravel road, it winded until they reached a driveway, his eyes everywhere, as the fading light gave nothing away. They parked the bike, hid it actually, he found a brush pile up the way and instructed Maggie to help.

"Why hide it, we should have a fast getaway?" She wondered out loud.

He cleared his throat, and swallowed, "Naw, gotta hide it, better to come in on foot, in case we have company, dead or alive" He muttered while meeting her curious eyes, "will draw the geeks and the living we don't wanna draw attention." He explained. Maggie watched from beside Daryl as he moved, he was quiet, she was beside him and couldn't hear him. She had to keep looking at him to be sure he was still there.

"How do you do that?" She wondered, curiously from beside him. They were so close to one another that their shoulders were almost brushing, but she still couldn't hear him.

"Do what?" He asked distractedly, as he continued through the woods, they'd decided to stay off the main drag, and head through the woods to the daycare center.

Maggie blushed, she didn't realize she asked him it out loud. She cleared her throat, and brushed a stray hair behind her ear, "Your quiet, Glenn say's you just appear outta nowhere and scare the living shit outta him." Maggie snorted out a giggle.

Daryl smirked, then gave a side-eyed glance at her to see if she was serious, he prided himself on being able to read people, "Hunting... gotta be quiet to catch an animal..." He shrugged,

"Even now, I can't hear you walk..." She responded,

Daryl sighed, and quirked up his lip, "Nowaday's, ya gotta be quiet, noise gets ya killed..." He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Can you teach me?" She asked watery eyes looked up at him, and he glanced at her again, Glenn was capable. He narrowed his eyes, but there was a question in them.

She stared at him, "Glenn doesn't want to teach me how to fight, he tried, then clammed up." She wrapped her arms around her middle, "Please?" She swallowed, "Like you said, with the living, becoming more of a threat, I want to be able to defend myself if a group like Randall's men come to the prison we need to know how to fight." Her voice trembled, and she saw Daryl wince. She wasn't watching the ground, and stumbled over a root, but Daryl caught her shoulder and righted her.

Daryl sucked his teeth. Maggie was capable, and he'd seen her in action. She was one of the strongest fighters "Ya know how ta fight" He met her eyes.

"This world scares me, Daryl, I don't want to-" her voice broke, and she closed her eyes tightly, "People, living people scare me..." She broke off and met his eyes as they walked, "I can't tell Glenn this, but Randall..."She licked her lips, and her eyes watered, he hoped she wasn't going to cry again, "What you said, he said, scared me... What living people can do." She admitted she blinked back the tears, and he was relieved.

"Better, and fight the living, I want to be able to defend myself... Glenn won't fight me. He won't he won't hit me."

Daryl stopped suddenly, and scowled at her "And you think I would!" Daryl snarled, and he started to turn away.

Maggie's hand flew to his forearm, and he flinched, freezing and staring at her hand, but she didn't remove it "No!" She shook her head. "No! Daryl, look at me..." She paused till he did, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. Sure he was angry, but there was more hurt in his eyes. "No, you misunderstood that. I know, you wouldn't hurt me." She squeezed his forearm. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

Daryl ground his teeth together as his jaw clenched tightly. The old pain had caused him to snap at her. He knew she meant well yeah, he'd had grave reservations about men hitting a woman, but to defend themselves Daryl wasn't going to hold back well he'd hold back enough. He won't hurt them, but he'd teach them.

Daryl let out a heavy sigh, then gently touched her hand that was still on his forearm "Ain't nothing ta be sorry for," He swallowed thickly. Then shuffled his feet, and while rubbing the back of his neck "I don't know whatcha think my life was before the dead rose, but I ain't ever hit a woman... but I'll teach ya to fight, I ain't gonna like it, though," He sighed heavily.

Maggie's eyes watered at his admission, of course, she didn't think he'd ever hit a woman. He'd suffered in his life. She knew that her heart broke. She swallowed, "Daryl?" And his sad eyes met hers, "I hope you know, that I'd never think you'd hurt me... I asked because your someone I trust." She whispered.

He faltered in steps, and looked at her, then averted his eyes, as painful memories were creeping up from his past. He started to move again, to bolt away.

"Daryl, " She took his hand, and he froze in place, his head whipping around meeting her eyes. He didn't want to hurt her more, so he let her take his hand, and brought her free hand up to her heart, and his gaze dropped from her eyes to her hand, and his eyes met her wet ones, and a lump filled his throat. He swallowed, and blew out the breath he was holding, "I just, I'm sorry if what I said hurt you... I can see it did" She choked out,

Daryl only nodded, and she dropped his hand, feeling terrible as she walked along side of him, they kept walking for a few more paces, before his sudden outburst startled her again.

"Alright!" Daryl growled, and sighing heavily, "... Long as Short Round is ok with ya askin' me" Daryl met her gaze, his eyes intense, "He know this?" the intensity in them unraveled her.

"He knows, he suggested it." Maggie supplied,

Daryl scowled, then frowned and ran a hand through his hair. He was gonna kick Glenn's ass when they got back, well hell if they got back. Daryl had a bad feeling when the first signs of thinning of trees were spotted. He held up his hand to Maggie and crouched low at the tree line. "Shit..." He growled, and Maggie crawled up alongside him.

"No... Now what are we going to do?" She whimpered, the daycare was no more, it'd burned to the ground.

Daryl shook his head sadly, "We look for another, that baby girl ain't gonna go hungry, on my watch."

Maggie nodded at him, and they got to their feet once again, it was a crushing blow to both of them, but they recovered, and jogged back to the bike. They'd go to the town over and look, the problem with that was that they were heading deeper into the red zone, and it was going to be dark soon.

"Daryl, what if we don't find anything?" Maggie asked haltingly. She could feel Daryl's stomach muscles clench, as she asked, the words, and hid her face in his back. He was tense, and she felt his breath hitch.

"Ain't gonna happen, we'll find something!" He hissed out. They rode in silence the rest of the way to another daycare center that they had marked on the map.

Daryl cut the engine on the bike and waited for Maggie to get off the bike. Then he jumped off himself, and brought his crossbow over his shoulder, and checked his gun, checking the clip, and the safety, he wanted it off. Daryl took point, as they walked to the daycare center.

"Companies close, stay tight," He muttered quietly, as they walked through the yard. He made sure to look around and be sure that there wasn't anyone to jump out at them. They only ran into one walker, and he put it down. All the doors were locked, but the windows weren't boarded up. So Maggie took the butt of her gun and broke the window. While Daryl covered her and took out another walker. Then they both waited to make sure no corpses came out after them.

"Do you think there's more of them?" Maggie whispered,

"Half a dozen, maybe," Daryl paused, and raised his crossbow, taking down another that had come to investigate the noise that the broken window made. Daryl and Maggie made quick work of them, and then he retrieved his bolts quickly.

Daryl let Maggie go in first and covered her now that nothing dead or alive, had come out guns blazing our teeth chomping. Daryl climbed in after her, sending a well thought up to JC that they would find some formula for the little one back home. He was doing it for her, for Carol. She was heavy on his mind right now. He couldn't let his mind go with the thought that she was dead. Daryl stumbled over a kids toy, and then just kicked it out of the way, he looked up at some drawings on the wall and had to school his features as one of them read the name, Sophia. Well, the name was 'Sofie' but it still made him think of Carol. He swallowed tightly and continued forward.

Daryl, moved through the dark room, pulling open cupboards and looking for anything that resembled something for babies. He found some diapers and threw them in his satchel, and some kid vitamins, toothpaste, and one bottle of baby aspirin, another of cough syrup, and cold medicines. They'd have to come back when they had more time to clean out this place. It wasn't looted like the rest of the places he'd been in. He opened another drawer, and pulled out some baby clothes, frowning, he wasn't sure if they were small enough, but the Lil' baby couldn't run around bare-assed, that wouldn't be right. The thought had him shaking his head, as he found some more baby clothes and put them in his bag. They still needed food.

Daryl held his bow out in front of him and walked down the hall, he'd heard a sound, he met up with Maggie, nodding as he quietly reached into the half-door, and turned the handle. He nodded to Maggie to slowly open the closet door, that's where the scuffing noises were coming from, he stood alongside, and a little behind her taking aim with his crossbow, and holding his light in his teeth. Maggie slowly opened the door, and Daryl's light hit a startled possum.

He shot off his bolt, "Hello Dinner" He spoke around his flashlight, his words coming out muffled, and he smirked when Maggie wrinkled her nose.

Maggie rolled her eyes at the hunter, "That is not going in my bag." she muttered, and Daryl snorted, as he picked the animal up.

Maggie moved away from him and knelt on the ground when she opened the cupboard and let out a relieved breath when she found two cans of baby formula. She quickly stuffed them in her bag, looking up at Daryl, who was cleaning out the cabinet above her where he'd found more formula. Then pulled out a gallon of distilled water, "Baby water?" Daryl quirked his brow.

"A girlfriend from school swore by it, but there's no way we know if it's any good any longer." Maggie frowned,

"Ain't gonna have an expiration date, Maggie." He furrowed his brow,

"Do we take that chance with her, though?" Maggie looked at him.

"We're taking the chance on the formula." He sighed,

The water was sealed up tight, even had the plastic around the bottle on the outside, no breaks in it as Daryl inspected it. They could always boil the shit outta it again. There was no chance in hell that they weren't trying it first though.

They made their way back outside, using the door this time, Daryl took down the last of the Walkers, which were just a few strays. It was dark now, he sighed.

Maggie came up beside him, "Everything ok?" She asked,

He nodded, "Trying to route the best way back," He murmured, "The quickest way back." He scratched his chin, and smirked at her.

"You didn't!" She scowled at him, and he shook his head.

"I put it in my bag, ain't gonna leave it behind." He raised a brow, "Dinner's dinner." He shrugged, "Why waste the meat?" He asked her.

"Because it's possum!" she shook her head at him.

"We've had possum before," He snorted out a laugh rolling his eyes. He'd already gutted the animal, and put it in a bag in his saddle bag on the Triumph.

* * *

They made it back to the prison in record time, waiting for the prisoners to open the fence. Daryl winced again as he rode by them. Maggie tightened her grip on is middle, patting his stomach in comfort. She knew what he was thinking about. It bothered him slightly, but they'd bonded on their trip looking for the formula. Daryl cut the engine on the Triumph and waited for Maggie to get off the bike before he moved to get off.

They both silently made their way into the cell block, Daryl pulling off the bag from Maggie's back as she walked over to Glenn and they hugged quickly. Daryl handed the formula and a bottle to Hershel, and he quickly prepped the bottle and gave it back to Daryl.

Daryl scooped the baby out of Carl's arms and was handed the bottle, as he started to feed the baby girl.

* * *

 ** _AN2_**

 ** _Thanks for reading. Please leave me a review. I'm still working on my other stories Unbroken will be the one that's updated the most. Thank you for reading, and have a safe and happy holiday weekend._**


	2. And Then There Was You

_**Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. Wasn't sure I was going to keep going, but then my muse found her place here. We're going back in time a little here, really so I can touch on Daryl and Carol's relationship. Thank you so much for your reviews, alerts and follows. More at the end :)**_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own the Walking Dead, just taking the characters out to play with for a little while._**

* * *

Hunter's Heart ~ Chapter 2 ~ And Then There Was You

Seven Months ago – Hershel's Farm

Carol had been quiet all morning that Daryl had been helping her. He was currently carrying two ten gallon buckets in his hands out to the pastures. They were heavy as fuck. But he didn't complain, he just sweated… because even if it had been eight in the fucking morning, the sun was already sweltering. He was thankful to set one of them big buckets down when they got to the stables. He poured one of them ten-gallon buckets into the horse's water trough and then the next one in. Hershel had five horses, and Daryl had lugged at least 10 ten-gallon buckets out to them horses already that morning. Daryl couldn't understand why Hershel didn't just hook up a pump to one of them wells and pump the water in for the horses. Maybe he had before when the Apocalypse started, but it would make sense.

It was just when Carol and Daryl were coming back from their fifth trip out to the stables from the well that Maggie showed up with the wheel barrel and eight more buckets, they were empty of course. Daryl bit the inside of his cheek. Both of them had been out since the crack of Dawn sweating their asses off and she was holed up in the house with Short Round. Carol noticing the tension in Daryl's shoulders rubbed her hand down his arm causing him to flinch slightly.

"Thank you, Maggie." She told her softly and smiled up at Daryl trying to get him to relax a little. But he just snorted and backed up and started grabbing up the buckets to pump the water into them if Maggie said anything else he didn't hear it as he continued to pump the pump a little harder than he had too. But he was angry, and angry that just NOW they are bringing out that wheel barrel. Then he saw Glenn backing up Otis's truck instead of the wheel barrel. He tossed Daryl the keys. He caught them before they hit him in the face and glared at Glenn.

"They hell have you to been?" He growled out, this time, Carol couldn't stop him from snapping at Glenn.

Glenn backed up a step when Daryl had stepped up and into his face. He held up a hand. "There was a situation up at the house." He stumbled then righted himself as he walked into the truck door.

"For TWO HOURS?!" Daryl snapped and shoved past Glenn to snatch up the buckets that he'd already filled lifting them into the back of Otis's truck. All the while grumbling. Carol had stepped back and was pumping the water into the buckets.

"Uh, we need to go into town. Do you guys need anything?" Maggie asked Carol.

She gave her a list, and Daryl just grunted that he didn't need anything. As he continued to bring the buckets to the truck bed. If he didn't do that, he'd dump the bucket over Glenn's head.

He poured the last of the water into the horse's trough and dried his hands on his pants. Carol had helped with it as well even with him telling her she didn't have to. But she insisted. But she was rubbing her shoulder when she stepped back.

"Told ya. Ya didn't hafta do that." He muttered as he stepped behind her, and knocked her hand off her shoulder gently, and then rubbed her neck and shoulders. She'd tensed up for a moment, but then relaxed into his touch when she realized what he was doing. It surprised her really that he'd do that for her that her eyes filled with tears and spilled over. But this caused him to stop. "Did I hurt ya?" He asked with a frown.

She shook her head no. "No, it's not that at all." She turned around and while wiping her eyes. "Just no one's ever done that for me." She sniffed and choked back a sob. "Thank you." She wanted to reach out and touch his chest, but the way he'd acted a month ago when she kissed on his forehead told her he didn't like to be touched. And she knew why she'd seen his scars when she'd come in the room. Then she'd just pieced it together. Because she had some of the same scars. But she wouldn't dare bring that up that she knew. But somehow she just felt connected to him. Maybe because they were the misfits of the group.

"Long as I didn't hurt ya." He rolled his neck and stepped over to the truck to close the gate.

"Daryl?" She called out timidly. She had something to ask him, and she was sure it wasn't going to come out right. But she'd been so scared since the barn, and Sophia, that she knew that she couldn't defend herself. She'd like to learn, but she knew if she'd ever had to tangle with a walker in likelihood she'd be bitten. And she didn't want to turn into one of those things. But she didn't want to end it herself either. Daryl was the only one she was close enough with that she could ask. But she didn't know how to ask him.

He turned to face her after he'd closed the tailgate on the truck, his brow was raised. When she didn't speak for a long moment, he huffed out a breath and took a step closer. He'd seen her eyes were pooling with tears once again. "What is it?" He murmured. Softening his tone, he didn't want her to think that he was annoyed.

Carol blew out a breath and wiped the corner of her eye. "Can you teach me to fight?" She whispered on a sniffle.

Daryl frowned and leaned against the tailgate. He nodded and brought his thumb up to his mouth to chew on the nail bed. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "What ya wanna learn?" He dropped his hand and crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back on the bed of the truck. His crossbow was within reach even while he'd been carrying the buckets from the well he'd had that with him.

Before when she'd asked, and that was the first few days after Sophia had gone missing in the woods. He'd just scoffed at her and told her to ask Rick or Shane. But, now when they did nothing for her, and she made sure to tell him that. They didn't have his patience. And not that Daryl had a whole lot of patience either. He just was gentler with her. He gave her a chance, while both Rick and Shane just ignored her. They were impressed with Andrea. Not her.

"Knives and Guns, and just how to fight. I'm afraid if I were alone, I wouldn't be able to protect myself. I couldn't do anything for Sophia…" Her voice broke, and she bit her lip. She didn't want to cry anymore.

She saw Daryl wince as she said her daughter's name. He huffed out a sigh and dropped his arms stepping closer. "You did everything you could for your little girl." He whispered, the look in his eyes were extremely sad." He blinked and looked away. "I…" He trailed off, and he looked away. But Carol thought his eyes were a little watery.

This time, she didn't stop herself, she placed her hand on his chest. His head snapped back up to look at her and his eyes met hers. They were sad and watery. "I never thanked you for going out there and looking for her how you did. It was only you that cared enough to do that. I couldn't figure out why, why you would do that?"

He let out a ragged breath, and she could feel his heart slamming against his chest at the contact. But he didn't step away or remove her hand. She didn't make a move to remove it either. Daryl blinked and then swallowed, then began in a whisper. "Kid gets lost in the woods you look for them." He bit his lip and looked down for a moment. "I just wish I coulda found her Carol." He looked back up at her his eyes were shiny. "I failed her." His voice broke, and he looked down at the ground. He knew the real reason that he started to look for her, it was because he cared about what Carol thought of him.

The sadness in his voice and his eyes was breaking her heart. She patted his chest in comfort. "You didn't fail her Daryl. You did more for her, for me than anyone in this camp."

Daryl turned back to look at her, and his eyes were dry now, but the sadness hadn't left them. "Let's go. Wanna teach ya to fight while we still got light." He didn't step back then, but reached up and took her hand and squeezed her fingers before he moved to the passenger side of the truck and held the door open for her. She'd thought it was sweet that he'd done that. But she learned the first time not to make the comment because he'd just brush it off. He never was one to take praise.

He slammed the door once she was in and then hopped in faster than she thought was possible to his side, and drove that truck back up to the farmhouse. "We'll take the bike." He murmured as he got them back to the farm.

Carol packed a bag and then met Daryl out by his tent. She hadn't seen anyone while she was at the camp. She wondered where everyone was. But then remembered that Maggie and Glenn had gone to town. Rick and Shane were off building a lookout on the windmill, and Lori was laying down because she wasn't feeling well. Dale and T-Dog were helping Hershel.

"All set," She said as she walked up.

Daryl nodded and picked up his crossbow, Remington, and Smithie and put that in his back belt. Then attached the crossbow to the back of the bike, and helped her adjust the Remington over her shoulder with the pack that she was already wearing. "I know a place not far from here that we can shoot and not draw any attention to the farm, it's got walls. Roads blocked, that's why I wanted to take the bike." Daryl stepped back around her and met her eyes "You ok?"

Carol swallowed thickly, "The last time I was on a bike was nearly twenty years ago."

Daryl furrowed his brows, "Would ya rather take the truck?"

Carol shook her head no, "No, I trust you, what do I do?"

Daryl smirked as he threw his leg over the bike and kicked the stand-up. He held it steady with one hand and reached out his other so he could take her hand. He got her steadied on the Triumph.

"You'll go off the back of the bike if ya don't hang on." He glanced at her over his shoulder. Then took his hand off the handlebar, and drew her arm around his middle, then the other. "Move in close; it'll keep the bugs from hitting ya." He patted her hands that were resting on his stomach. Then moved forward. Carol squeaked and squeezed him tightly.

"Daryl!" She yelled.

He chuckled. Then reached down and patted her hand giving her fingers a squeeze. He smiled when she moved in closer and rested her cheek on between his shoulder blades. "Good Girl!" He shouted, but he didn't think she heard him over the wind.

* * *

It wasn't long before the reached their destination. Daryl used the scope on his Remington to make sure the area was clear of any geeks. But given their hike down there he was almost certain the only way they'd have a real problem with them was if they fell into the ravine. His theory was that it was a 100ft up from the river, and there was a river at their backs. Up the river, there'd been a house that he'd found while he was out looking for Sophia. He'd had to climb a fence to get over it. So he hid the bike and took Carol's hand as they made their way down the side of the cliff. He'd found a better way down this time. Not going to fall a third time. But where'd he'd fallen that was up to the river a ways where it'd been shallow. Here the river was roaring in their ears.

"How much farther? I got rocks in my shoes." Carol said with a wince.

"100 yards as the crow flies." But when they got down to the shore he guided her over to a huge boulder and sat her down. "Here." He stooped down and pulled off her boot. Dumping out the rocks that were in there and checked her foot in the process. Seeing no cuts or anything he brushed the bottom of her sock covered foot off and helped her put her foot back in, he repeated the process with her other foot. While Carol tried to blink back her tears. He was so sweet to her. He put that boot back on and double tied them. "There," He said with a grunt, and pushed to his feet. Frowning again when he saw her tears.

"I'm going to need a hug if you keep being sweet to me." She sniffed.

Daryl blushed, and took her hand again. He didn't think what he was doing was sweet. He was just taking care of her. "I ain't sweet." He grumbled.

Carol snorted and squeezed his hand. "You are."

He stopped them and gave her a look. "I ain't." He shook his head.

She didn't argue him with that she knew she wouldn't win. He just raised an eyebrow at that. "Come on woman. Daylights burning."

They walked another five or ten minutes. Then were met with a brick wall. At first, Carol didn't understand why he'd brought them to a brick wall and what it was doing by a river. But she realized that the river was far below them now, and they had traveled a bit inland. Daryl dropped her hand and jumped up and snagged the tips of his finger with the top of the wall. That had to be a ten-foot wall. But with his upper body strength, he was pulling himself up with a grunt, and climbing to the top of that wall. He did a quick look around, and then had Carol pass him up to his stuff, and then reached down for her. He pulled her up on a dead lift one armed. With the other arm holding his bow and at ready should something try to get him from behind. But from what he'd seen of this place. No one had been in it for at least thirty years.

"I'll go down first."

"That's even better."

"Stawp." Daryl rolled his eyes. These last few weeks she'd been trying to find things to make him smile. Because he'd made her smile.

Daryl helped her down to her feet; his hands were on her hips as he lowered her down. He patted her hip after he'd steadied her on her feet. "Ya alright?" He whispered.

She nodded, "Just got a little dizzy on the way down."

Daryl frowned, and pulled out his canteen handing it to her. "Try drinking some water, and have a seat over here." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her to a wooden bench that was by a tall tree on the land. After he'd got her seated, he'd pulled open his bag and rifled through it, pulling out some jerky that he made out of the last deer he'd hunted. "Ain't much, but it'll fill yer belly." He stood then looking around the property for the best place to pull set up the target practice.

"What do you think this place was?" Carol asked from beside him causing him to jump. "Sorry."

"No bother. Eh, dunno. Mighta been an orphanage or old jail house."

"That's quite a difference."

"Naw…kids locked up, so are the prisoners, 'cept the kiddos weren't bad." He shrugged.

Carol found herself blinking back tears again. "The kids are sadder." She whispered.

Daryl turned to look at her. "Yeah, true bout that." He sniffed, and finished setting up the stuff he needed for target practice. "Feelin' better?" He stopped in front of her.

"Yes thank you."

Daryl rolled his eyes at the thank you. "Alright. Ya wanna start with guns or knives?"

"Fighting..." She whispered. She looked down, "Then the weapons if that's ok."

Daryl nodded, "Alright, that's good as any." He cleared his throat. "We'll start with fighting. First I want ya to throw a punch at me, with all ya might." He stopped in front of her.

"Daryl I don't want to hurt you." She looked up at him with her hands on her hips.

"Ain't gonna hurt me, I know how to take a punch. And I want to see ya do it first."

Carol chewed her lip. "What if I told you I took self-defense in college." She smirked.

"Then I'd say good for you." He raised his eyebrow.

Then she took the swing and almost knocked him flat out, but she'd taken him by surprise. "Oh gosh, Daryl!" She squeaked she touched his back. "I'm sorry."

Daryl turned around rubbing his jaw with his right hand with a smirk on his face. "Good God Woman, you pack." He was grinning, and she smiled too when she realized that she hadn't hurt him.

"I'm still sorry." She sniffed.

"Woman, hey. None of that, ya caught me by surprise, and that's good. Mean's you are fast, and you do have a mean right hook." He grinned at that still rubbing his jaw. "So we don't gotta work on that skill, just technique, and when ta run."

So they worked on fighting techniques. Carol wanted Daryl to try and take a swing at her, but he wouldn't do that. "Sweetheart, I ain't gonna hit ya. I can't." He finally told her when she was persisting. "I already know you can take a punch." He had to turn away, and look at the ground.

"Want to learn how to block them, though." She touched his bicep, and she saw his jaw twitch.

He looked up at her, and his eyes had a faint sheen to them. He reached out and touched her jaw. "I can't." He whispered with a tender touch to her chin, "I grew up with a daddy like Ed." He winced, he didn't like talking about that.

Carol hearing the pain in his voice, she let him guide her back over to the bench. "I'm sorry." She rubbed his bicep, and she felt the muscles tighten there.

"I got by well enough. But, I ain't never gonna hit a woman, in play, or otherwise." He had his head bowed and was staring at the ground. She felt bad that she'd upset him. "He'd hit me too you saw the scars on my back when you brought me dinner after I got hurt." He finally looked up at her.

She nodded as a tear trickled down her cheek. He reached out and wiped it away. "Please don't cry." He whispered. But him doing that had the opposite effect, and she started to cry.

Daryl wasn't sure what to do if he should hug her or what? It was a sensitive subject for both of them. So he just reached over and took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her wrist.

"Did your momma get away?" She whispered.

Daryl closed his eyes, and shook his head no. "Died in a fire when I was seven." He looked up at her, "So no, she didn't get away." He whispered.

Without thinking Carol through her arms around his neck. He froze for a good five count, and then not knowing what to do, he hesitantly put his arm around her waist and shoulders and hauled her to his chest. It wasn't that he'd never hugged a woman before it had just been a long while since he had.

It felt good having her soft body pressing against him. He rubbed her back, and tipped his head down to look at her. "Thank you." Then he patted her cheek, and helped her to her feet. "I ain't gonna hit you, but we gotta see if ya can block. So we'll do this as a self-defense like thing. But I ain't gonna throw a real punch I can't." His eyes misted over but he blinked, and that was gone.

So they did that then, and she did well in not allowing him to get a hit in. He wasn't working at it at all. He was enough though that he found out that she knew self-defense fairly well. He was on his knees holding his crotch and gasping for air.

"Oh…Daryl!" She choked out.

"Son of a bitch!" He gasped when he found his voice, then coughed while he chuckled slightly, "And I only though Merle took cheap shots." He groaned as he hoped to his feet. Then pulled in a ragged breath, while wincing once again. He'd misstepped tripping over a root on the ground, and had to right himself, but he wasn't fast enough. Her knee was already coming up, and he got it in the groin. It was his fault; he'd gotten distracted by how good she was at the self-defense. It had stuttered his brain a bit since she was a victim of abuse. But maybe that's why she was standing here today because she could block more than Old Ed dished out.

"Daryl, I'm so so, sorry. I didn't mean…"

"I'm alright." He smirked. "My fault. Now, I need to rest a moment." He told her as he went and sat down on the bench. He leaned forward his elbows going to his knees as he shifted slightly. He winced again.

Carol stood by close sniffling. Finally, he reached up and pulled her down next to him. "I ain't mad. Ya did good, that move right there took me down ya woulda got a good lead." He grinned.

"But I hurt you."

Daryl took her hand in his. "That's what ya gotta do in this new world sweetheart. Or ya ain't gonna get through it alive." His voice cracked there at the end. He looked away.

Carol was sniffling again. "Do you think I raised her too soft?"

Daryl frowned, and turned to meet her gaze. "No. It's just this world, and no she wasn't too soft." He reached out and ran his finger lightly down her cheek.

"Sometimes I think that I failed her, I was too much of a coward to leave Ed. So now this is my punishment, and it's my fault that she's dead."

Her words stung…

Daryl stared hard at Carol and didn't want to hear what this woman was trying to tell him. It had been a few weeks since Sophia's funeral. He'd tried. He'd tried to find that little girl. But like everybody else in his life he'd failed her instead of them failing him. He'd failed Carol. He'd failed Sophia. And that hurt.

And that was a grief that was stabbing at his chest, and making his eyes sting. Enough so that he had to turn away.

"It ain't your fault that she's died, it's this new worlds fault."

Carol was sniffling and wiping her eyes. "But you even said it." She whispered fiercely.

Daryl turned, so he was straddling the bench now, and he took her hands in his. "I was angry with myself Carol and angry that you were losing hope." His voice broke, and he looked down. "It ain't your fault that she's died, and ya gotta not think that." He let out a slow breath, as he felt his emotions getting the better of him. He swallowed over the lump that filled his throat and continued in a whisper. He let the anger go, and let this emotion that was new to him take over. It was crushing his chest, and there was a pang of grief that went through him. He had to bite his lip; it was like the emotion from that day all over again. He let out another breath, and regretted embracing this new emotion.

"I want it to be you." She whispered.

Daryl blinked at the bench, and swallowed hard. "What?"

"You have to do it." She whispered.

"Do what?"

"I don't want to turn into one of those things, so you'll have to do it."

She wanted to take the easy way out?! Suddenly, he was very angry. He didn't know how to deal with everything else. This was all new to him. Her friendship was new to him. Christ, she'd been pushing and pushing at him until he finally gave in and was helping her with her chores, and teaching her to fight. Plus, it was a bonus when he could get her to smile. That had been work because he realized and though he'd never admit it to another soul. That if Carol was sad so was Daryl. His days were the darkest when she was mourning her daughter. But it could be that he was mourning that little girl too. He hated that he couldn't find her for Carol. And now…it was happening all over again. And instead of giving into those annoying tears that were at the back of his eyes and threatening to fall because damn sure as Hell he wasn't going to take a fucking life. Well maybe Shane's, but that was a different matter altogether. But Carol he couldn't live without and that was new to him. It was NEW to him as a goddam good for nothing Dixon. Daryl closed his eyes and shook his head… NO, just NO…he wasn't ending it for her.

He growled under his breath. "IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT!" He glared at her; his chest was heaving. "IS That what your little girl woulda wanted! Christ woman! There is NO EASY WAY OUT! IT'S NOT WHAT SHE WOULDA FUCKIN' WANTED FOR YOU!" Daryl cursed as his eyes stung. And he tried to calm himself; he hated the look of fear in her eyes. "Jesus, I ain't gonna hit ya!" He growled and stood so he could turn away from her. Staring out at the back stone wall he blinked rapidly and placed his hands on his hips. Trying to get control of his breathing.

He felt her cold hand come on his back and flinched away from it, and heard her startled intake of breath. "M'sorry, don't like to be touched." He looked over his shoulder at her. His temper now reigned in, and he saw tears in her eyes. "Didn't mean ta make ya cry." He looked away from her again.

She laid her hand on his shoulder again, this time, he didn't flinch, he'd expected it. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean; I wanted to take the easy way out. Daryl, please look at me." Her voice trembled, and he turned to look at her flinching at the tears on her cheeks. Her eyes met his unwaveringly, "I just meant…" She pulled in a ragged breath, "If I get bit, um…"Her voice broke, and his eyes filled with tears at where this was going.

Daryl blinked back the tears that were in his eyes, and swallowed. "C'mere," He whispered, and pulled her into his arms, and held her. He just couldn't stand to see her crying. She came willingly into his strong arms, and laid her head against his chest, her hands going around his waist. He flinched at the contact on his back, but stilled himself again and allowed it. This wasn't a woman that was going to hurt him. The touch was soft, and she had already seen his scars, and not said anything to him. He held her until her breathing evened out, and she had calmed herself.

"Sorry." She whimpered, and looked down at her feet.

He pushed her back gently and lifted her chin… then swallowed thickly, "Without a shadow of a doubt I believed your little girl was still alive…"He growled fiercely, and his voice cracked, and he stared at the ground. He was blinking rapidly, and shook his head. "M'sorry I let you down." He whispered not trusting his voice further. He really felt like he let her down for not finding her little girl in time.

Carol touched his chest causing him to lift his watery eyes to hers. "I meant what I said. You are the only one that looked for my little girl, you got hurt, almost died, it wasn't for nothing Daryl. No one else did that for me." She sniffled, and held her fist to her chest. "You kept her hope alive. You kept her alive for me."

Daryl tried to look away but she was holding his chin, and he didn't want to hurt her. He swallowed thickly; this story would be different telling Carol than it was telling Andrea. Daryl reached up and took her hand, and gently removed her fingers from his chin. He kept her hand in his. It wasn't that he hadn't had any experience with women, it just was that wasn't on the top of his list no more, it had never been. Surviving was at the top of his list and keeping the people he cared about was on the top of his list, and that was a short list. Her being number one. He held her hand gently. "When I was a little younger than Sophia I got lost in the woods." He motioned for her to walk with him over to the bench.

He finally looked up and met her eyes. "I was lost for nine day's, no one looked, no one cared. My old man was off on some bender with another woman, and my brother was in Juvie. The old man…he was a drunk, raised his hand…those scars ya saw… he handed them down." Daryl's voice broke, and he stiffened when her hand fell gently on his back. "Don't…" His voice broke, and he closed his eyes tightly against the pain.

Carol let out a sob, and dropped her hand. He reached quickly and caught it. "It feels ok." He whispered. Then fought his reaction when she placed her hand on his back again. For some reason, it felt ok. It scared the ever living fuck out of him. Hell walkers were no match for this woman. "I looked for Sophia…cuz I felt she was still very much with us. I could hear her laugh…" His voice crackled, he cleared it. "I was lost for nine days and no one ever looked for me. No one cared, but that's cuz my mama was dead, and my old man was a monster, and Merle…well he was a product of daddy."

"Did someone find you?" Carol asked she was wiping her eyes.

Daryl sniffed, and squeezed her hand. "No…no one cared enough. I got home, and made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich." He blinked back the moisture in his eyes. Then cleared his throat. "Wish I coulda done that for her." He closed his eyes in defeat. "M'sorry." He ran a hand over his face and looked up at her.

Carol met his fierce eyes….

He shook his head. "Ok." He whispered, and bit down on his lower lip that trembled. "I'll do it…" He let out a ragged breath, "But let's hope I don't gotta." He nodded at her.

Next on the agenda was weapons. He showed her how to hold a gun properly something the good sheriff she told him and Shane hadn't shown her. They just were teaching them to shoot. So Daryl sat her down and explained step by step everything about a gun. He stepped behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her, to say she wasn't distracted was an understatement she was distracted.

Daryl snorted, "Ya gotta pay attention." He said while pressing closer, and she got even more distracted at that. He pressed his lips to her ear, "pay attention woman."

She did as he told her to do. Her attraction to him was still there, and she didn't know if he returned it. She closed her eyes and tried to focus. They got to work on target practice then. With Daryl, she was hitting the target more often than not. She was doing very well. Because he gave her that confidence in herself that she needed to.

Daryl looked up at the sky; the temp had dropped significantly, and the winds had picked up. "Think we're gonna have to hunker down here tonight. Storms coming in." He nodded up at the sky.

"But Daryl, no one knows where we're at." She touched his chest.

He sighed heavily. "Nah, but we ain't heading back in this storm. It's almost right up on us I shoulda been paying attention to the weather. God dammit!" He kicked the dirt. Then cursed a few more times. "Alright, let's a move into the house. It'd been around for over a hundred years. Built to last. So he broke them in, and had her held him push one of the heavy sofa's in front of the door after they checked out the house room to room. There was nothing only dust and spiderwebs. It was an old two-story home. Built of stone, and brick it was one of them homes that had to be built in the late 1860s probably around the Civil War days by the looks of it. It was still solid, though. It only smelled musty. Like it'd been closed up for a long, long time. Daryl walked around with Carol with him checking all the entrances and doors and windows. The place was secure. Daryl was glad that they'd packed for over night. You always pack for a few days on the road. No matter where you were going. It was just then that there was a huge clap of thunder and Carol shrieked.

"Hey, sweetheart. It's gonna be ok." He rubbed a hand down her back and guided her to the sofa, brushing it off with one hand and checking it for creepy crawlers, as he dropped down with her on it. He pulled her to his chest, and wrapped his arms loosely around her. She was scared; he could tell by the way that she was shaking in his arms.

"Sorry, I don't like storms." She whimpered and nuzzled closer to him. Daryl nodded against the top of her head and pulled her closer.

"You're gonna be just fine." He kissed her temple and rubbed his hands up and down her arms trying to warm her up.

* * *

 **AN2: So there we are. Hope you liked it. This just wouldn't leave me along as I was writing the story. Next chapter will be heading back to the present day. This chapter just needed to be here, so we all knew that Daryl had had feelings for her for a little while. Here in the now, he just doesn't know how to process them much more than having the anger come out. Because that's his default. Where no he'd never hit Carol or anything. He's just still rough around the edges, and a little jumpy when he's touched. By the end, he was comfortable enough around her to tell her a little why he is the way he is. So next chapter won't be this long to update. Next update will be Unbroken, been caught up a little on that one, not blocked, just caught up. So hoping to get through it and post within the week. Thank you for reading and review I appreciate them :)**


	3. No Matter the Cost

_**Authors Note: Thank you for the reviews and follows. I'm glad you are liking the story. So now that I got my legs under me with this, this will be a multi-chapter story. Not sure how long it will be. Ok, we're starting about an hour after they got back to the prison. Daryl's lovingly held Lil' Asskicker, named her himself, and then we're a little later away from that. Then we jump back again to Daryl and Carol's day at the farm. I keep seeing them there and seeing how his feelings for Carol kind of start there. So more on that on the end, this chapter got so long I had to cut it in half, so good news is Chapter 4 is almost ready. Let me know what you think! :)**_

* * *

Chapter 3 ~ _No Matter the Cost_.

Present Day at the Prison

Daryl brought Lil' asskicker to his shoulder. Instead of being covered in walker muck and blood his clean shirt that Beth had insisted he put on since his previous shirt was so covered in muck that she thought it might hurt the baby. Reckon, he'd give her a point on that. As they really didn't know what can happen to little babies and he wasn't about to get that baby sick. So an hour earlier he'd handed Beth the baby, and took the stairs up to his perch to change into his now current tan cut off shirt, which had been cleaner. But now it was covered in baby vomit. But he just chuckled and brought her a little closer. He could see now, why Carol…his eyes stung…had so much hope for this little girl.

For the first time in his entire life, he had everybody's eyes on him… looking _to him_ as their leader … wondering what they were going to do next. But Daryl only had eyes for the baby currently in his arms. Lil' asskicker, she was beautiful. He looked down and cooed at her, and then looked up and smiled. "Lil' asskicker" He smirked, and Beth shook her head.

"How do you know how to hold a baby?" She asked him timidly.

She was the only one that hung around with him as the rest of the group had gone out where he'd sent them …he hadn't really given Beth a job now that he thought about it… Or leastways he hoped that's what they were doing.

Daryl shot her a dismissive look. "What, you didn't think I knew how?" He quirked an eyebrow.

Beth blushed, and she cleared her throat. "I didn't mean it like that."

Daryl snorted, "How'd you mean it?" Beth spluttered, and turned tomato red. Daryl just continued to rock Lil' asskicker.

He finally cleared his throat and glanced over at Beth who was looking everywhere but at him.

"Merle, he was my brother." He answered, then flinched and let out a slow breath as Lil' Asskicker reached up and grabbed onto his hair. "Uh, well he" He untangled the baby's gooey hand with his hair, then continued "…had a lady that had a baby." He shifted the baby again and met Beth's eyes "I was usually the one that got stuck with the little one. Not that I minded." He shrugged and looked away. "Ain't that right Lil' asskicker," He dipped his head and grinned at the her. The baby pawed at his face with her wet little fingers. He snorted, and looked over Beth's head at the walkway behind her.

Beth giggled at that. She didn't know Daryl that well. Not like everyone else did that is, but she liked that he knew how to be with a baby. She watched as Daryl continued to talk with her, he was really the only one besides her daddy that knew how to handle a baby then. Well besides Rick she was sure, but she was worried that he wasn't going to come out of where he was. It had scared her seeing the man who was their leader breakdown like that, but then Daryl stepped up. It made her wonder how Daryl would handle being their leader if Rick…she shook her head.

She didn't trust Rick right now; she hadn't since the farm. But even though she'd been a little scared of Daryl at first, she'd seen the way he was around Carol, and it reminded her the way her daddy was around her Mama. So she wished really that Daryl was their leader anyways. He was better at it, stronger, and even if he didn't see it. Even her dad looked to him for protection. She blinked back the tears that were pooling in her eyes. Then finished warming the babies bottle. Daddy had told her that they needed to get as much formula in her as possible because it was essential and that she wasn't going to be getting her mama's milk. And she also wasn't getting all the nutrients that she needed given that the baby formula was maybe too old.

Daryl patted Lil' asskicker's bottom. "Where ya got the diapers?" He asked over his shoulder. He knew that they'd found diapers for newborns he'd put them in the bag himself.

"In the box by the wall." Beth pointed, and Daryl brought the baby over to the bed and snagged the box with his foot-dragging it over. He didn't want to turn his back on the little wiggly bundle, so she didn't dump herself on the floor. "You know how to change a diaper?"

Daryl was busy, as he removed the dirty diaper, and cleaned her up, and quickly made work on snuggly putting on the diaper, and quickly dressed Lil' asskicker. "Yep." He lifted her up patting her back. "There ya go again on how I don't know how to be around a baby." Daryl snorted and whispered in the baby's ear.

Beth didn't catch all of it, but it sounded like he was telling the baby that people shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

That made her sad, as she walked back over to Daryl who was currently making faces at ok…Lil Asskicker.

She cleared her throat when he didn't turn to look at her. "Uh, I made her some more formula. I don't know if it's too warm, though, do you know how to check?"

Daryl shifted the baby into his right arm and then turned his wrist over and nodded at it. He motioned with his chin. "Put a little there on the back of my arm." He told her meeting her eyes. So Beth walked closer and took his forearm in her small hand causing him to flinch and then dripped a little formula on his arm. "Uh, yeah it's a little warm yet." He told her as he wiped his arm on his jeans. "If it sits a little it should be all right, though." He drawled.

"Did you babysit this baby that Merle had?" Beth asked.

Daryl nodded, "Her Mama wasn't that good with her…" He shrugged, "Merle didn't keep that good of a company."

"Oh…" Beth's eyes widened, and Daryl forgot that the girl was like fourteen or something. Or was it fifteen. Fuck if he knew.

"He liked the working ladies." He told her narrowing his eyes in disgust.

"Oh you mean…" her voice faded, and her eyes went huge.

"Right, right" Daryl nodded, and shifted Lil' asskicker in his arms and reached for the formula. He tested it again and moved to give the baby her meal.

"What happened to her?" Beth asked.

Daryl was starting to get a headache; he sighed heavily. "Dunno. Merle was done with her before the outbreak happened."

"Ok. Sorry." She whispered.

Daryl snorted and shook his head. "Pfft…Ain't nothing to be sorry bout girl." He shook his head.

"Well, you don't know what happened to _that_ baby." She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "And clearly you cared for it if you're so good with Lil' asskicker." She pointed out.

Daryl snorted at her calling the baby asskicker; he shook his head. "Right, well let's keep a positive thought that she's alive and well." He raised an eyebrow and then turned back to Lil' asskicker, and Daryl really wanted to keep a positive thought. He'd never admit it, well maybe to Carol…he swallowed a lump down... But he wanted to keep that positive thought, about both that hooker and her little girl. But he shook that thought off, because babies, and this one in particular could feel sadness, and there was a hell of a lot of that right now.

Beth still didn't go away. Even when he was completely ignoring the teenager. He knew that was rude, but seriously. He wasn't that random come up and talk with sort of guy. Well, hell he was holding the baby. He clenched his jaw.

"What I meant before was that you're just so…hunter guy, I just never saw you liking babies." She told him as she stepped closer to talk to the baby.

Daryl grunted, and shifted the baby to feed her some more. Earlier she hadn't liked that it wasn't warm and spit up all over his dirty 'clean' shirt. "Yeah, well. _I like babies_." He quirked an eyebrow.

Beth rubbed his upper arm and bicep, he flinched hard and shifted the baby to cover. "I'm glad. I'm sorry if I offended you." She tipped her head up to look at him.

"Nah, ain't no bother." He shrugged while grinding his teeth together, and stepped away from her touch. It was making him uncomfortable. She was just too damn close. She seemingly realized that and stepped away with another timid sorry. Daryl just grunted, and turned the baby in his arms to burp her, and that's when she spit up on his shoulder and down his arm. Again he just shrugged, and Beth was coming to take the baby so he could change.

"Ain't nothing." He shrugged away from her.

"You want to walk around with baby vomit on you?" She asked incredulously.

Daryl snorted, "As opposed to what!" His eyebrows hit his hairline "Walking around with _walker_ _guts_ on me?" He snorted, "I'll take baby vomit over that any day, Sheesh girl" He shook his head and looked at her like she had grown a second head.

Beth started laughing and shook her head. "You're too funny."

Daryl rolled his eyes and shook his head. Then he leaned in and wiped his arm on her shoulder. "There since you wanted it too." He quirked an amused eyebrow as she tried to slap him away. With a shriek.

Daryl chuckled, as he rocked the baby, till she was resting peacefully in his arms then brought her over to the makeshift bed that was a clothes basket. "Wish we could have a crib or something, it just doesn't seem right," Beth said as she came back into the cell with a new shirt on. Daryl rolled his eyes again and placed the baby in the basket.

"Yeah well, beggars can't be choosers, and we're definitely beggars right now." He murmured.

"It just stinks!" Her voice broke.

Daryl looked over at her as she was blinking back tears. "Hey now, none of that. The baby needs to see smiles and that sort of shi-stuff," Daryl quickly corrected, "We don't have a lot of happiness in this new world. Best we keep a smile because them babies can pick up negative stuff." He pointed, and looked over his shoulder at her.

Beth looked at him and wiped her eyes. "Really?"

Daryl nodded and took a step back. "Yep." He nodded at the door in which she was blocking at the moment.

"Oh sorry, um…if she needs anything should I just come find you?"

Daryl paused at the doorway and sighed. "Eh…" He winced and looked down. Then his mind went to Carol. And how much hope she had for that little girl, and he kind of thought that maybe that's what she'd want him to do. To look after this little one while she couldn't. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, that'd be alright." He murmured and left quickly. "Or your daddy." He called back over his shoulder.

Daryl strolled back to his perch. He had to pass by Carol's cell along the way. He paused as he passed it, and hesitated for a moment. Then his heart started to hammer in his chest; he could still smell her scent. Her cell smelled like vanilla and lavender faintly. He wanted to close his eyes and just wish that she was in there, that it was some kind of nightmare that he was having that she was gone. It didn't seem right that she couldn't meet Lil asskicker. But he had to keep moving forward. He couldn't get lost in those emotions. If he did, he'd be in crazy town with Rick.

He'd stood outside her cell long enough that it made his eyes start to water, and a faint lump filled his throat. He moved quickly to his perch, and knelt down and angrily whipped open his bag. Furiously he looked through it until he found what he was looking for, and that was the Cherokee Rose that he'd picked on the run with Maggie, that he'd put away because he'd changed shirts earlier. Looking down on it now it made his eyes burn, and he blinked to soothe that burn.

"Daryl?" He spun around at the sound of Glenn's voice.

"Ain't you on watch?" Daryl hissed out hoarsely. Hoping those emotions weren't bleeding through into his voice.

"Oscar said that he and Axel could keep watch for a little while longer" Glenn quickly replied.

Daryl scowled at him, "Pfft…" He just stuffed his shit back into the bag and jumped to his feet, as he grabbed his crossbow from the wall. "And you trust them!" He growled.

Glenn crossed his arms over his chest, "We don't have much choice, Daryl."

Daryl put his hands on his hips and bit the inside of his cheek. "Pfft!" He scowled, and then ran a hand through his hair. "But, why don't you or Maggie relieve them now, it's been an hour since we got back and they've at least been up there for four." Daryl cleared his throat. "We'll just all rotate like I said until…we can figure this shit out about Rick." Daryl huffed out a tight breath.

"Ok, sounds good."

"I'll relieve you at midnight. Got a few things I gotta do." He scowled when Glenn wasn't moving. "What is it?" He snapped.

"Need your advice." Glenn sighed.

Daryl raised an eyebrow at that now they were coming to him for advice, "Pfft…" Daryl scoffed, and moved to get past him.

"Daryl" Glenn caught his shoulder.

Daryl stopped and sighed. "What is it." He slowly turned around.

Glenn swallowed, "Maggie said we are getting really low on supplies. We're going to have to go out and get more."

"And?" Daryl sighed heavily.

"Well…usually Rick." He trailed off.

Daryl scowled, "You're fucking capable Short Round, Jesus!" Daryl started to walk. But Glenn caught up with him.

"I know you got things to do; I get it. But later can we talk and get that sorted?"

Daryl stopped again and looked over his shoulder. "Fine, I'll meet with you when I come to cover ya. Now, get out there and take over for them assholes!" Daryl growled impatiently.

He was stopped by Hershel right before he got out the door. By that time, he was so wired (Emotional) that he blew out a breath and clutched the door handle. He let it close and turned, he didn't want to be angry at Hershel.

"I can see you're in a hurry son."

Daryl snorted, "But you figured you would stop me anyway." Daryl turned and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Carl wants to go looking for Carol."

Daryl closed his eyes as they stung. "Yeah, I know," He let out a heavy breath, he'd already had it out with Carl. "That's where I'm heading, after I…" He waved his hand at the door.

Hershel cleared his throat, "Should I talk to him?"

Daryl shook his head, "I'll speak to him. He was close to Carol too." Daryl's voice caught, and he turned to walk away.

"Hold up."

Daryl stopped but didn't turn to look at him. "Glenn's really concerned about Rick."

Daryl turned at that. "Yeah. He told me, and I told him not yet." Daryl's voice hardened, and he let out a heavy sigh. "Rick's just lost his wife, and the kid is hurting, they need time to grieve." He cleared his throat. "But I want you to talk to him if Glen or I go down there it's liable to end in a fight." Daryl frowned and shifted the bow on his shoulder as it started to slip a little.

Hershel put his hand on his shoulder. "How you holding up son, I know you lost someone too."

Daryl looked at his feet and huffed out a ragged breath. "M'fine gotta be" He paused, and cleared his throat "Just gotta take care of her y'know." He kept his eyes down.

"If you need to talk, you know where to find me." He squeezed his shoulder, and Daryl nodded.

He looked up, his eyes were still burning, but he didn't care, everyone else was falling apart. He nodded "Thank you." He muttered, and opened the door and shot out of there before he took Hershel up on that offer.

Daryl walked up the hill to where the graves were. It was already dark, but the moon was full that night, so he didn't need to use any light. He fingered the Cherokee rose that he had in his vest pocket. Then pulled out the blue-green rocks that he'd found while he was walking around the prison yard. He was pretty sure that they were Jasper, they'd go pretty with her eyes. He positioned them into a heart shape and then fumbled to get the Cherokee rose out of his vest pocket.

His eyes started to burn, as he placed the flower in the center of the heart. He blinked, and then closed his eyes. His emotions were getting the better of him. So he folded himself down onto the ground, and crossed his legs in front of himself Indian style and bowed his head with a sniff.

Tears fell silently down his cheeks he didn't bother to wipe them away.

* * *

 **Hershel's farm Nine months ago.**

Daryl held Carol close to his chest as she trembled in his arms. He could hear the wind that was howling around the old house. "Shhh, we're safe sweetheart. Ain't no walkers gonna get us here, and this house was built when shit was built to last. I ain't gonna let a storm hurt ya." He said while pressing his lips to her ear.

Carol let out a soft sob, and wrapped her arms around his neck, and nuzzled herself closer into his chest. Daryl willed himself to relax this was the first time in about six years that he'd held a woman this closely, and using the word woman was putting it loosely.

Sandy.

He closed his eyes and again willed himself to calm down. Carol wasn't Sandy, and she wasn't going to rip his heart to shreds like every other person in his life had. Hell, she still wanted to be around him when he yelled at her.

He winced at that.

He had hated the look of fear in her eyes over that. He'd hated himself for yelling at her. But he just didn't know how to deal with what she was making him feel when she told him that she couldn't lose him too. Sandy had told him that over and over again, made him fall for it. But she didn't say it with as much emotion as Carol had. All Sandy wanted from him was that he was good with her kid, and dare he say it. Good in bed, well that was the Dixon anthem anyway. The ladies around his home town loved to snatch a Dixon. Daryl wasn't any ladies man; that was solely the title for his daddy and his brother. Well maybe he'd give that title to Merle, and not his old man because all the hell his old man knew how to do was beat them.

Merle, on the other hand just knew how to fuck them…

Daryl, on the other hand, had known how to be gentle, to protect, and to love. He knew now that he had never loved Sandy. Because while he was holding Carol, there was more warmth with her than there'd ever been with Sandy. He closed his eyes thinking about that, and inadvertently pulled Carol closer in his arms, and wrapped his arms around her in protection as another BOOM vibrated off the walls.

Carol sobbed against his throat. So Daryl did the only thing he knew to do. He knew when he was sad and scared as a boy; his mother would press her lips to his ear and sing him a song. Now those songs weren't appropriate here. So he'd settled on an older song that he was sure that Carol would know, and it would make her laugh instead of cry.

Now Daryl wasn't a singer, but he'd do anything right now to make this pretty lady that he was holding against his chest stop being scared and laugh at him at least.

So he leaned down and pressed his lips to her ear after he'd pulled in a shaky breath

" _On a warm summer's eve…On a train bound for nowhere_ " It was The Gambler by Kenny Rogers.

That got Carol to stop sniffling, and let out a slow, shaky breath. She held him a little tighter as he continued with the song, sniffling some more.

When he finished the song, admittedly, he had a few tears in his own eyes. Whether they were from laughter, or pain. He didn't know, but maybe because it was the fear was gone from her eyes when she looked up at him.

"I didn't know you could sing." She whispered, as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. She was still sniffling against his throat. "and I _love_ Kenny Rogers." She sniffed.

"I don't sing." He whispered and rubbed a hand lightly up and down her back. "But couldn't abide ya crying like that." He pressed a kiss to her temple.

"That was sweet no one has ever done that for me," She said on a sniffle. "It helps." She whispered, and patted his chest. "You can sing to me anytime." She leaned in and kissed his throat.

"Good." He whispered. "Now, try to get some sleep." He pulled the poncho out of his bag that was near them and wrapped it around Carol. It was too warm for him to put around himself. It was hot in the room they were in even with the thunderstorm ragging around them.

"Thank you Daryl." Carol leaned up and kissed his chin, and Daryl blushed.

"Stawp." He rolled his eyes, and leaned forward and cut off his flashlight.

Soon Daryl could feel that Carol's breathing had calmed and he smiled. She was snuggled tightly against his chest something that before today he wouldn't have been entirely comfortable with. But he was now. He really cared for Carol. She'd been the first person in the group to really look past the fact that he was a backwoods redneck. That sure he had a brash older brother, but that didn't mean he was exactly like Merle. Sure he spoke rough most of the time to everyone but her. He still hated himself for yelling at her like he did in the stables.

No time for a pity party he decided as he blew out a heavy sigh. With Carol pressed against him, it was difficult for him to close his eyes. Even though he knew that they were safe in the brick house, actually more safe than they were at Hershel's farm he really didn't have to stay awake and keep watch. But he did, at least ways until the storm quit raging outside, and he could get an hour or two of sleep before they'd have to get on the road again. Well if they could get on their way again.

The next afternoon, Daryl had gone out into the storm to gather more firewood and check the path to see if it would be clear enough to travel but it hadn't been. He'd determined that they'd likely have to wait the storm out. Thinking that maybe it had been remenents of a hurricane. Daryl didn't know if they'd get them this far inland, but they were further South than Atlanta than he'd ever been. But as he said anything was possible these days and without the weather people to tell them when to take cover they just didn't know any longer. The wind almost knocked him on his ass. A piece of hail slammed into his chest. It hurt like a bitch. He rubbed at his chest, and pulled his shirt away …it was glued to his chest like a second skin… to look to see if the piece of hail drew blood, it didn't…well what he could see... He'd have a bruise, but holy hell… that mother hurt. He rubbed at it. He'd take his father's fist any day of the week over that. But he continued, and gathered as much firewood as he could under the shed that he'd found. Fortunately, whomever had lived in this brick house before them, had the smarts to gather it. Had he have to go out now, they'd be screwed. Daryl prided himself on being able to do most anything, but wet wood, soaked…it would take awhile to dry out. They had enough to build a weeks worth of fire.

"Jesus!" Daryl grunted, as a rattler almost got him…it would have…if his reflexes hadn't developed as they had over this last year. Hell, months. He couldn't do that six months ago. He looked down at the knife sticking out of the snakes head. He was sprawled out on his ass. He let his head drop into his hands. It shook him. Had that fucker bit him…he'd be dead…he'd be one of them assholes out there. Daryl wasn't stupid. He knew that Rick knew something, and it was big. You die, you turn. Daryl gathered himself, and rubbed his face. He grabbed the snack by the throat, at the same moment pulling out his knife. Well they'd have food. He cut off the head of the snake, and digged deep and buried the fuckers head, then rinsed it in the cold water of the river, it was rushing now due to the rainfall. They weren't gonna be able to travel safely for days. He chewed his lip, he should have just turned back when they could. But where they were would hold, they just had little supply. Even the walkers were scarce. He saw none. He also caught three rabbits and a squirl so good hunt with the snake. He found a vegetable garden on the road back so grabbed it all up, and noted there was more growth. Reckoned might be a place to scavenge later. He made note of that and continued on. He picked some fruit off trees in yards, and he still fought that look over the shoulder thing to see if owners were looking out of their home. He loaded up on supplies, found prescription drugs…fortunately he knew that stuff due to Merle's experience in it… Fucker that he was, he at least had knowledge and he passed it on to him in hopes that Daryl, or Darylina would wanna sell it. Daryl did not. He hated what they did to his brother, to his father. He wouldn't even take an asprin. He hated drugs. There was things in nature that had pain relief, he knew that. He knew how to cultivate that. He wasn't no scientist but he understood the principle. When someone he knew well threw an essential oil in his face they smelled like the plant, he missed those.

Nature needed to rebuild. Yes they as humans needed to kill to survive, but that didn't mean that nature was doing that. It had started to rebuild he knew that. As nature adapted. It survived. He knew that's how they'd survive. You adapt. You survive. And finally after all the years of him being deemed as stupid, he was the one that helped his people survive. Because he knew the wildlife, he knew what to do he knew how to survive…because even though his life had changed drastically like many. Daryl was always able to adapt. He knew pain, he knew how to survive. _No matter the cost_.

Carol sniffed, and wiped her cheek. Their relationship in these three days had gone up a step. He was touching her more, and watching out for her. She wasn't sure what he felt for her, but she was falling fast for him. He really was a sweetheart. He'd held her both nights during the storms that raged, and sang to her each night. And let her cry on him for no reason other than because she missed Sophia. He'd been sad too, telling her that he wished again that he could have saved her little girl.

They talked a little about their pasts, and he'd opened up about his. At first, he didn't really talk much about it, but earlier today he told her that his daddy was like Ed and that he'd lost his mama. There were a few tears in his eyes when he'd talked about his mother. He told her about a day that she had taken him and Merle out of school, just to spend the day with them. They'd gone to a carnival, watched silly movies at a drive in, and had root beer floats at a local creamery, that made all their own ice cream. Daryl said she'd brought them a few towns over. He told her he'd never shared that with anyone. She had to wipe tears away after he'd finished the story. There was a sad smile on his face. But he said that the memory made him happy when she told him that she was sorry for making him sad.

It was late evening the second night in that old house. It had rained all day, and when Daryl had gone out to look at the trail, he'd said it wasn't safe to travel on. So he'd come back in soaking wet, and Carol had made him strip off his shirt and hang it by the fire to dry. So he didn't get sick.

Daryl had been apprehensive about that, almost stomping out into the storm once again. But then he'd abruptly stopped and spun to face her.

"M'sorry." He lowered his head and closed his eyes.

She walked over to him and touched his chest. "I've seen them." She whispered patting his chest, and he frowned then let out a heavy sigh as he unbuttoned the cut-off light blue shirt that he was wearing, really it was already sticking to his chest anyway and as thin as the shirt had been it was sticking to him like a second skin. She could see the hard planes of muscle on his chest and his abs.

Before he pulled it off over his shoulders, though, he set his bow down. Then he'd stepped around her and placed it near the fire.

He sighed, and crossed his arms over his chest. His pants were relatively dry, so he'd frowned while he was standing there. "I ain't taking my pants off." He said gruffly and turned but then frowned when he didn't see Carol. He was about to panic when he saw her walk back into the room holding a blue towel in her hands.

She held out the blue thread bare towel to him, and he raised his eyebrow. "where'd ya get this?"

"Had it in my bag." She handed it to him, and then crossed her arms as he took it.

Daryl reached for it and dried his upper body with it feeling a little under the microscope, but when he turned to hang up the towel by the fire, he noticed that Carol had her back to him and was looking out the window rubbing her arms.

Daryl let out a sigh, and walked over to her, he hesitantly reached out and took her shoulder turning her around. "M'sorry if I got a pissy." He murmured, and Carol turned to look up at him, her heart breaking seeing the pain in his eyes.

She swallowed tightly, and reached up and stroked his cheek. He stiffened, but didn't pull away, he let her. "Nothing to apologize for Daryl, I have scars too. A lot of the same." She clamped her lip between her lips as it trembled, and inhaled a shaky breath, "And I wouldn't want them on display neither. But, Daryl you're a very handsome man, and you have nothing to be ashamed of." Her hand fell to his chest tracing over his tattoo on his chest. "Who's Norman?" She whispered.

Daryl swallowed down the lump in his throat, and bit his lip, then let out a slow, shaky breath "He was my Granddaddy, he had a heart attack when I was 18, we weren't sure he was gonna make it, got it too for him know, he survived." He looked away a moment and swallowed while reaching up to bite his thumbnail. "He was more of a daddy to me than my old man." He looked off to the side and winced when he turned back his eyes were teary. "In the first week of the outbreak," His voice thickened as his eyes started to pool with tears, but he blinked them back. "Papa, my uncle, Merle, and I were on our annual hunting trip; we could do that after the old man died." His voice caught. "Papa, he got bit trying to save my uncle," his voice broke, and he turned his head away for a moment. "I ahh, I had to take him out." He reached up and wiped his eye. "Hardest fucking thing I'd ever had to do kill a man." He shook his head. "We didn't know we had to shoot them in the head. He came back" Daryl let out a slow breath. "Had to take him out again."

Carol was wiping her eyes, and she rubbed his shoulder, then not being able to stop herself because his eyes were so sad, she reached up and put her arms around him. He stiffened at first, but they'd shared a hug before, so he slowly wrapped his arm around her waist and her shoulders and drew her close. It was a little more intimate hugging him with him not wearing a shirt, but he didn't seem to mind that. As he tucked his head down by her neck and drew in a surprised breath. Then he squeezed her tightly letting out a huff. "You are a wonder." He sniffed, his voice came out husky, and he kissed the side of her neck. "Gonna make me lose my composure woman."

She rubbed his upper back and kissed his throat. "That's okay big guy," She whispered.

He chuckled, and stepped back, again wiping his eyes. Carol rubbed his chest. "M' sorry it's just kinda fresh." He shrugged, "A herd came, and we-" He stopped not able to talk around the lump in his throat.

"Daryl you're allowed to grieve." She whispered.

He nodded clearing his throat, "I know." He swallowed, "Haven't though not with Merle as a brother."

"Well, I have a shoulder." She patted his chest,

Daryl grinned, and leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Pretty Lady."

Carol blushed, and tears filled her eyes. "Handsome Man."

Then Daryl blushed, "Stawp" He snorted, but she saw him turn his head, and his lip turned up.

"You are."

"Ditto." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked to the sofa.

"Mmm, you're warm." She said as she cuddled into his side. She felt a little chilly.

"Let's go sit by the fire; you feel cool." He told her.

So as he sat first, and brought her down beside him. "Can I lean on you?" she asked as she sat on the edge of the sofa. She knew it was okay last time, but she wanted to be sure that he was okay this time with it.

He didn't answer her, he just took her shoulder and pulled her close to him, and wrapped his arms around her waist. He then nuzzled her neck with his nose. "Smell good, of course ya can." He murmured. "Like lavender and vanilla."

Carol blushed, he was always complimenting her even back at the quarry.

It had been three days before it was safe for them to travel. Daryl would have thought that someone would have been out looking for them when they had returned from their trip out in the woods. But no one actually acknowledged that they'd been missing except for Dale.

"What happened to you guys?" Dale asked alarmed when he saw them walk into the RV coated in mud from head to toe.

"Admit it Dale, if Daryl walked in here alone you wouldn't be asking that." Carol raised a brow.

Dale rolled his eyes. "Of course I'd worry, haven't seen hide or tail of either of you for three days!" He hissed.

Daryl raised a brow at that as he brushed by the older man to grab up Carol's bag for her. It was their plan to go down to the pond and wash up. Daryl had offered to keep look out, and she'd said she'd do the same for him. He'd only smirked at that, but he didn't roll his eyes because he knew that Carol could shoot, and she was capable. That she had a good eye when there was trouble. And really she was the only one that he really did trust. She'd seen his scars and said nothing about it.

So Daryl gathered up her stuff. "Was showing her how to shoot," He grunted when Dale stepped in his way. "Outta my way old man."

"For three days, son?"

Daryl frowned, and took Dale by the shoulder moving him gently out of the way. He liked Dale; he just didn't like him in his personal space. "We got caught up in that storm. Reckon you guys heard it?" Daryl raised a brow.

"Yes!" Dale hissed angrily, "Of course I heard it; I was looking for you guys!" His eyes began to water, and Dale looked away. "Shane's getting worse." Dale told Daryl.

Daryl nodded, "I know, but I ain't gonna do nothin' bout it till Rick sees it for himself, ain't gonna make no enemy's."

"I'm not asking for you too son." Dale put his hand on Daryl's shoulder.

Daryl rolled his eyes and hefted Carol's bag on his shoulder. "We need to get cleaned up, if ya don' mind, I'll come by later and chat it up." He gave Dale a nod and put his hand on Carol's low back leading her out of the RV.

"What was that all about?" Carol asked once they were making their way to the pond.

Daryl shook his head and then cleared his throat. "Dale's worried about…" He looked around them making sure there wasn't anyone following them or paying attention, "Shane."

"What with that boy?"

Daryl gave her a nod, "Exactly."

"Thought you agreed with him though?" She nodded at his knuckles which were just bruised now but had healed.

"Ain't agreein' to kill no kid!" He snapped, then took a breath, and shook his head, "M'sorry," He touched her chin, "Didn't mean to snap at ya." He looked down in shame.

"I understand." She gave him a sheepish grin. "I mean, you know the good from the bad, you don't like Randal."

"You got that right, we let him go, he'll bring back a world of hurt on…" Daryl scowled. "I need ya to be safe." He frowned and stopped them both. He reached up and touched her cheek. "Don' know what I'd do if I lost ya." He dropped his arm and kept walking.

Carol stood their stunned, before quickly catching up to him.

They had come back to find out that everyone had moved into Hershel's house. So Daryl thought that was a bit better, at least way's Carol would be more comfortable indoors. They'd given her a bedroom. Carol had pulled Daryl into that bedroom after they'd gotten back from the pond, and he'd heard the distant rumbling in the sky. She'd begged him to stay with her, so once he'd gotten his tent and camp picked up, he did just that.

Daryl cuddled Carol to his chest. Her body trembling with sobs as she cried against his chest as the storm continued around them. He had to admit the storm was kind of loud. He wondered what happened to her in life to make her so frightened of storms. They'd really never gotten around to discussing that the last three days, and it was breaking his heart, and he wished he knew how to distract her from her fear. The singing seemed to help so he'd done that.

He just gathered her closer and pulled the blanket around them both. He was lying flat on his back on the twin bed, with her on top of his chest. He'd pulled the pillow under his head that smelled too clean. Daryl cradled her to his chest and ran light circles over her back.

Her sniffling had evened out some, and she was running her fingers lightly over his chest over his heart was. It tickled, and he shifted slightly to get more comfortable. "Is this too much?" She looked up at him her chin resting on his sternum.

He shook his head no. "Nah, are you doing better now?" He whispered.

She nodded, "Yes," she ran her fingers over his collarbone and laid her head back down over his heart. "Thank you."

Daryl squeezed her and nodded, that time just accepting her thanks. "Why are you so scared of storms?" He whispered. The storm had settled down to just a crack of thunder here or there. It had moved on, but Daryl just decided he'd stay the night.

She cleared her throat, and her fingers brushed over his heart again. He liked that, it was making his skin tingle. This was good touch he decided. "Ed." She shrugged, and he could feel the tears seep through his thin cotton shirt on his chest. "He was angry one night. I forgot to pick him up his beer. Well, we were under severe thunderstorms in the area, he beat me, and took me out to his deer stand and tied me up out there making me withstand the storm. He did that enough times that it just created a trauma for me." Carol felt Daryl stiffen below her, and she rubbed her hand over his chest. "He's dead and gone, I don't have to worry about him no more. It's just getting over the trauma. This helped, it's something that I can hold on too that was nice."

Daryl leaned up slightly and looked at her. She could see the sadness in his eyes, and also quite a bit of anger. "If I could I'd bring him back to life so that I could kill him." Daryl hissed then cleared his throat. "I shoulda done more for you and, and Sophia."

Carol sat up, so he did as well and he slid back until his back was resting on the headboard he'd dragged her with him. So her head was resting against his shoulder. Even though the storm had already blown past they didn't separate. "Daryl, you did more for my little girl than her father did his entire life. You have done more for me than anyone has done my whole life. So please don't say that " She whispered as she rubbed his chest.

Daryl pulled her closer and rested his head on top of hers. "Shouldn't have had to live with that asshole who'd done that to you."

Carol looked up at him. "I was too much of a coward to run, he made me think it was my fault Daryl, and when I did run, and got away from him for a few days. His voice would just stay in my head. I was so afraid that he'd hunt Sophia and me down, that I went back to him. How sick is that?"

Daryl shook his head, "It ain't sick at all. When it's all ya live with and all ya know," His voice thickened, "I was seven when my momma died, and I woulda had more beatings if it weren't for her." He let out a slow breath, and swallowed down the lump in his throat, "She'd throw her body in front of his fists. I could never understand that." His eyes started to water, "How she'd just sacrifice her own body for my _punishment_." His voice cracked, and he stared over her shoulder. "She tried to run with us once." Tears started to pool in his eyes, and he had to stop talking for a moment as his emotions got the better of him, but he could see tears running down Carol's cheeks so he brought his arm around her shoulder as much to comfort himself as her. He reached up with his free arm and wiped the corner of his eye when one tried to trickle out. Then continued slowly, his voice sounding like he'd swallowed glass, but it didn't break. "But he found her and dragged her back…she spent three weeks in the hospital." Daryl sniffed, and let out a slow breath. "I wanted to kill the fucker, I tried, and that's how I got them scars on my back." He wiped the corner of his eye again, and let out a puff of air. "Never shared that before with anyone, but what I'm saying is that the fear was real, and that's what them bastards do to us…" He looked down at Carol she was wiping her cheeks.

She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for sharing that with me." She cleared her throat, "I'm sorry you had to go through it too."

Daryl reached down and took her hand, and brought her knuckles up to his lips and he kissed each one.

"Ain't nothing to be sorry for. We lived it, and my daddy died when I was fifteen. The beatings stopped when I was fourteen when I could finally hit him back." He rubbed her back with that. "Him dying was the best thing for me. Yeah, he left me with a mortgage on a forty-year-old home."

"Daryl, you were fifteen…how'd you do that?" Her wide eyes met his.

"Merle was in and out of my life then, he did his best." Daryl looked away, and cleared his throat again. "We at least got the mortgage paid off with the money from the insurance. At least he had some money that we found that he'd made illegally. My father and my brother were heavy into selling 'shine or drugs. I took no part in that, so didn't know. I was gonna drop outta school and almost did. But Merle wouldn't see it…he said I had to finish school." Daryl shrugged.

"Oh, Daryl."

"Ain't nothing…" He frowned at her and then hugged her close. Because her feeling bad for him kinda just cut into his composure, and he didn't want her to see that.

"Daryl _it is_ something." She frowned when he wouldn't let her see his face. But she was guessing from the way he was breathing his emotions were getting the better of him, and that just made her feel bad. She rested her head against his chest and ran those circles there that he seemed to be enjoying earlier until his breathing evened out and slowed down.

Daryl loosened his hold on her after a moment or two. He cleared his throat, "I guess I know it's something. It…" He shook his head and bit his lip. It just wasn't something they admitted in the Dixon house. But Daryl realizing that he wasn't in the Dixon house no more, he was here with Carol. And that was something, and it felt good. It just confused him, and yeah it scared him. He sighed heavily. "It released me from him." He shrugged.

Carol looked up at him with a sniffle, "You really think so?" there were tears running down her cheeks.

He nodded, "Yeah. When you asked me for the pick ax y'know, that was new world lettin' go." He frowned. He'd been so…impressed by that.

She cleared her throat. "Really?" She asked wiping her eyes.

He nodded. "I kept close because I wasn't sure, I didn't know if you'd need me and that was new for me. But I realize it now; it was just me remembering how I let go." He swallowed around a lump in his throat.

"How'd you let go?" But she thought maybe that answer might be too much for him. He swallowed, and looked away for a moment over by the window. Then he stood, and worked on lighting a fire which she was glad for because even cuddled up to him she was a little cold. And it 'd be good to sit and talk with him with a fire going. A balloon of thought bounced around in her head that it would be sort of romantic. Not that she though he thought of her that way. But it sure felt nice being cuddled against his chest. She was attracted to him. Both physically and emotionally.

He came back after a bit holding another blanket. "Ya felt a little chilly." He told her as he sat back down next to her and wrapped his arm back around her.

"Thank you, I was."

He grunted, and shrugged off the gratitude, Carol wished she knew what made him so uncomfortable about receiving it. She wasn't sure if she should ask or not.

"Sorry for just uh…moving like that." He frowned.

"That's ok Daryl; I know all what we're talking about is hard. It's hard for me."

He nodded at that and let out a breath. "I cried." He shrugged, and he raised his brow at her. "It wasn't that I was sad that he was gone, it was that I was free from his rule I reckon. And in the Dixon house, that was considered weak." He swallowed, and then cleared his throat. "So watching you swing that ax up and y'know…Felt like I was spying in on ya letting go."

She took his hand into hers and felt how solid he was. "I was glad you stayed. I couldn't ask you too. But I was happy that you didn't go far."

He smiled at that and it was a full smile, with a little red in his cheeks. She loved it when he smiled, it was few and far between it lit up his face. He ducked his head in embarrassment.

They sat up for the next four hours or so and traded stories of better times. And they were realizing most those better times had been of each other and together, and that really surprised him. She told him when he brought her that Cherokee rose it had been the first time besides Sophia that anyone had brought her a flower. And she'd been so moved by that, that he'd thought of her and wanted her to have hope…

"Maybe with Lori's baby we can have that hope again you know." Her eyes glowed at him, and it was very bright.

That feeling of hope spread over to him because he liked the look of hope on her face. He felt a bit of warmth spread through his chest. And he really wanted to kiss her in that moment, but he wasn't sure if that would be acceptable. He didn't know if she felt _that way_ about him, how could she? He nodded and had to look away for a moment. That hope was shining so bright that it was almost blinding him, and it made his eyes water. "You ok?" She whispered running her hand down his arm.

Daryl snorted, "M'fine, ya was just shining so bright." He reached out to brush his thumb over her cheek. A smile was battling for control on his face, it won. Then he looked down to hide it. But she didn't want him to do that she liked his smile.

"I love your smile. Don't hide it." Daryl looked up at that; the smile was still playing on his lips. She brushed her hand on his cheek. "Smiles are so few and far between these days don't hide them." She whispered.

"Long as ya don't hide yours." He grinned, and brought her close to his chest again, and sat back watching the lightening out the window. "If you can have hope for that baby, I will too."

Then Carol looked over at him. "Don't tell anyone yet, I actually wasn't supposed to say anything either." She rolled her eyes.

Daryl shook his head, "Ya didn't I already figured it out." He shrugged.

"How did you figure it out?" She wondered.

"I'm so quiet sometimes people forget I'm around. I was up in the RV looking for ya when Glenn and Dale were talking the other day. I just ended up hiding behind the bathroom door." He snorted.

"Oh oops." She giggled. "I thought you'd just figured it out."

"That too, skin changes…" He shrugged again.

She looked at him, "What do you mean?"

Daryl felt his cheeks get warm. "Animals or Humans there's subtle changes. Ya learn that living off the land. My granddaddy had a big farm, and I'd spend summers there it was some of the better times of growing up after my daddy died too it was. But, Papa would teach Merle and I what to look for, said it was the same with women." Daryl shook his head in thought. "He didn't mean no harm in it; he was an old vet like Hershel is." Daryl shrugged.

"So that's why he asked you to help with that mare?" She asked him.

He raised his eyebrow. "Hmmm. He knew him."

"Did you know Hershel?" She stared at him

Daryl shook his head no, "Nah, I didn't. My granddaddy knew him well though." He swallowed tightly, it was hard to think about his Papa. "I'd spend summers with my grandparents after the old man died. Went with my Papa once to sale when I was 18, he wanted to buy a Stallion. He bought one from a Vet named Hershel Greene." Daryl answered,

"How come you haven't said anything?"

Daryl gave her the side eye. "Ain't gonna, no one's business."

Carol squeezed him, and Daryl snorted. "I thought he seemed more concerned about you than he should have been for just a stranger." Carol murmured, and Daryl raised his eyebrow and looked at her again.

"Whatcha mean?" Daryl frowned,

"When Rick and Shane were dragging you in unconscious, I watched his face go white, and tears jump in his eyes before he got to work. Then he said god damn boy. I just thought that was interesting." She shrugged.

"He told me while he was stitching me up, and everyone else had left. He asked me if I was Norman Dixon's grandson."

"How'd he know that?" Daryl shrugged,

"The tattoo on my chest." Daryl nodded down, and his shirt was open enough that if Carol wanted to, she could open the shirt and trace that tattoo. But Carol didn't want to lose his trust, so she was tracing her fingers over that tattoo now through his shirt. It felt nice, and it was making his eyes sting again. She'd moved on and now was tracing her finger over the scar on his near his sternum.

"How'd you get this?" She asked. He didn't have to look down.

"Daddy took his bowie knife to me." Daryl leaned his head back and closed his eyes. So Carol continued to rub her thumb over scars and watch the expressions on his face. He seemed to be okay with what she was doing. "He liked to see how far he could go to scare me."

Carol lifted her head and met his eyes. "Ed tried…" She sniffed,

Daryl pulled his arms tighter around her, and she laid her head on his chest. "Ain't gonna have to worry bout that no more, ain't gonna be no more bruises, or abuse." He whispered thickly.

Carol searched his face and raised the hem of her shirt a few inches, she saw Daryl swallow, and his eyes widen. "Bowie knife." She whispered as tears fell. She watched as Daryl's eyes darkened, and then he winced, and reached out his hand trembling to trace over the scar.

"I'm so sorry." When his eyes met hers they were shiny. Carol had to swallow over a lump in her throat as she watched him tenderly run his calloused but very gentle hand over the ridged scar on her stomach. "He coulda killed you." Daryl's voice hitched, and he closed his eyes a moment.

"Daryl I'm still here and alive, I lost my spleen because of it…"

He sniffed, and shifted and leaned down and kissed the scar. It was such a tender move that it caused her to burst into tears. Which in turn scared Daryl a little. "Oh god! Did I hurt you!" He asked half in panic. His eyes were wide with panic and fear.

"Oh no, no, no…your just so sweet." Carol sobbed while trying to reassure him.

Daryl sat up and gathered her into his arms, pulling her close. "Shh…don't cry baby." But that seemed to have the opposite effect on her, him telling her not to cry only made her cry more.

He was at a loss on what to do so he just continued to hold her close and let her cry it out.

"Get some rest now sweetheart."

The fire that he'd made had about fizzled out with the storm, but he'd stayed with Carol that night, and every night until they were forced to leave the farm.

* * *

 _Present Day at Prison._

Daryl stood from his spot next to Carol's empty grave and pulled in a shaky breath.

"I'll keep my promise" he choked out and blew out a breath. He sniffed and turned to head back to where he'd found Carol's scarf. Thinking how in the world he was going to live in a world without her.

Tears burned in his eyes and he blinked. He had to stay sharp and focused no pity party here. You're a Dixon, you're not meant to have happy and good things.

The tombs were pitch black, so he pulled out his penlight and shown it down into the darkness. He kept his eye out for both walkers and Rick. He didn't wanna run into either of them at the moment. He knew where Rick would be given where Maggie had told him where everything happened with Lori. He shuddered at the very thought of Carl having to shoot her so she wouldn't turn.

He froze when he heard shuffling behind him, whipped around and slammed whoever, or whatever was behind him into the tomb wall. All at the same time while doing this, he already had his knife coming up. He gasped in Horror(!) stumbling back a step, but kept a grip on his knife.

"Dammit Carl!" He growled in half terror and anger. He closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. "Jesus! I coulda killed ya" Daryl's voice cracked. He pulled in a shaky breath, and met the kid's eyes, "What in the sam hell were you thinking sneaking up on me like that!" He placed a trembling hand on the kid's shoulder.

Carl was blinking rapidly, and his body was trembling. "m'sorry I yelled at ya kid." He squeezed Carl's shoulder.

Carl pulled in a shaky breath "I'm sorry Daryl. I thought you saw me, and I just wanted to help you find her." His voice cracked, and he wiped at his eyes angrily.

Daryl let out a heavy breath, "I know you do kid, but please don't sneak up on me like that."

Carl laughed a little, "Ain't no laughing matter, kid." Daryl huffed.

"Didn't think anyone could sneak up on you."

Daryl rolled his eyes, "Oh I heard ya kid, that's the problem, you were shuffling like one of them geeks."

"Oh."

"Yeah oh." He snorted,

"Sorry."

"Pfft…" Daryl scoffed, and let out a tight breath, "Ain't no way I'd be able to 'plain that to your old man," Daryl shook his head and looked away.

"Can I help you find her?" Daryl realized Carl couldn't say, Carol. He could barely think her name without his throat getting tight.

"Well, you here ain't ya?" Daryl shook his head. "Just keep quiet, and eyes open." He waited for Carl to nod or something. "Gun out, eyes open."

"Ok."

They continued forward and Daryl shined the light all over the place once they got to where he'd found the scarf. When they'd found the scarf they'd had to go back the way they came because they had to get T-dogs body back to the cell for burial. So they didn't go through the door that was in front of them now.

"What are you thinking?" Carl asked quietly.

"I'm thinking, we're going this way. Only this way ain't clear."

Carl nodded.

"You comfortable in the dark with that?" Daryl nodded down at the gun in Carl's hand. He knew he'd shot walkers, but he didn't know how comfortable the boy would be in the dark tombs.

Carl nodded stiffly, "Yes."

"Ain't saying you can't shoot kid, I'm just saying that it's dark as pitch down there and we ain't cleared that shit yet. I don't know how many of them geeks are down there."

Carl nodded again and cleared his throat. "When Hershel hurt his leg I went down into the tombs to find the infirmary on my own. My mom got mad at me, and I was mad at her." He sniffed. "But I got what we needed."

Seeing this might lead to tears again, and Daryl knew that a 13-year-old at least when he was twirteen he didn't like people seeing him cry. Because usually, that led to a beating so he forgot how. "She was just protective kid; I'm sure you know that. Mom's worry." He swallowed, and then started for the door. Looking over his shoulder to make sure that Carl was following him, he was, his head down and he was wiping his eyes.

Daryl kept moving, and slowly opened the door to the hallway to another part of the prison. Death Row. He shuddered. He held his hand up to his nose as the smell of the dead assaulted him. Causing him to shiver with it. No one had been down here for a good stretch or someone had. His eyes stung. He was certain now this is where Carol had gone.

Carl stumbled into him, but giving Daryl had just stopped, and it was dark as hell down here. He just reached out to steady the boy. He pulled out his penlight and was grateful that it was a bright beam of light. But he didn't like what he heard, or what he saw in front of him. Daryl grabbed Carl by the scruff of the neck, and ducked them into the closest cell, as the walkers were alerted to them. There had to be about twenty of them pawing at the metal bars. Daryl pulled one of his knives off his belt and handed it to Carl.

He showed him how to use it quickly; they didn't need more walkers attracted to their presence. Carl being surprisingly strong was able to do as he was told. But Daryl kept those knives of his and his brothers sharpened, so it was like putting a hot knife through butter even with these rotted skulls.

They killed all 20 of them fuckers.

"You bit? Any scratches?" Daryl asked him.

"No, you?"

"Nope." Daryl shook his head and then grunted as he pushed at the cell door. Locked. Fortunately, he had the keys. So he stuck his arm through and quickly unlocked the thing.

Carl showed that he had the other set if in the case that Daryl hadn't had them. "Come on then." He murmured, and shown his light so they wouldn't trip on the geeks. He had to grab Carl by the arm so he wouldn't crack his head as he stepped over the bodies.

"Jeez, there's a lot of them. Not all of them are prisoners, though." Carl told him.

"There has to be a breach somewhere, a hole that they are getting in the prison."

"Gee. You think."

Daryl scoffed. "Pfft…" He rolled his eyes. "C'mon kid."

After they had walked in silence for a good part of their trip, Carl spoke up. "Do you think she killed some of them?"

Daryl looked over his shoulder at him, and he cleared his throat. "I taught her to fight, and she wouldn't have gone down without one. She killed em." He whispered his eyes started to sting again and he was glad that it was dark.

"Did you love her?" Carl asked quietly.

Daryl winced as his throat tightened, he swallowed around the lump that settled there. "Yes, I do." He whispered, and grimaced at the pain he heard there. He knew that Carl heard it too.

"I'm sorry Daryl; I loved her too,"

"Yeah, m'sorry too kid." He muttered as he waited for Carl to step up alongside him. He met his eyes. "Always' tell people you love, that you love them." He whispered, he thought to himself because you never know when you'll never get the opportunity. He looked away quickly.

He was getting lost in his own little pity party again.

Daryl focused on his mission. They killed a lot more walkers clearing the cell block really. "We'll have to come back at first light. Solitary is left, and we don't know what's down there. Those guys woulda been the last ones they thought to let out since it's death row…ain't no winners down there."

"You think she would have gone down that way?" Carl asked.

"It would be my guess." Daryl chewed his lip.

"Well then come on Daryl."

Daryl reached out and grabbed Carl's shoulder so he could go first. "Me first, and keep your voice down."

Daryl shined the light in the doorway. There was a window and he grimaced. There were prisoners alright. Dead ones.

They all had a bullet to their head. Each one at every single cell door. "Jesus."

"I don't think _he_ was involved, Daryl."

Daryl snorted, "That ain't right."

"Didn't you say that they were on death row?"

He nodded, "Still ain't right, just the end of the fucking world, I woulda let them suffer."

"And that's better?" Carl sounded old to him.

Daryl turned to look at him, "What they did. It woulda been better to let the new world swallow them."

"Were they murderer's?"

"How the hell should I know? Probably, murderers, rapists and peds…"

"what's a ped?"

Daryl raised his eyebrow. "pedophile's" Daryl muttered.

"Oh…eww."

"Yeah, more than that kid," Daryl growled.

The smell in this part was even worse. They kept moving, having to kill a walker that was locked in his cell, he did have a bullet hole in his head but they must have missed his brain. Or it was that case that 1/10 people survive, well mildly saying survive a bullet to the brain. Clearly, this one didn't have a brain, so he didn't die.

Daryl tapped his knife on the metal bar, and waited. The geek came over and snarled at him. Daryl just stabbed it's eye and watched it crumble to the floor.

"Gross."

Daryl rolled his eyes and wiped the blood on the walker's chest. He grunted as he stood. "Yeah, mostly is these days."

They kept looking right up till it was time for him to take over for Glenn. "I need to get back, and you need to get rest. We'll finish this up at first light."

Carl had been yawning into his arm for the last hour or so. "Think we'll find her?"

"We have to." He whispered as he shut the door to death row. "I have to."

* * *

 _ **AN 2: What kind of life could Daryl have without Carol in it? Has been kind of the theme in Daryl's mind in this chapter, and when he admits to Carl that he did love Carol, he's only now admitting it to himself. So now that he really thinks that Carol is gone he's having a hard time grasping that. But fortunately in my story here, at least he won't have to think on that for too much longer. I know it may seem that I'm breaking Daryl down a little bit in this chapter, but really in the ZA they've lost everything, and truly if you love someone really you should let them know that. Because tomorrow isn't promised. And I wish that the show would have capitalized on Daryl's feelings, and allowed him a moment to process really what he was feeling in those days that he was without Carol. Daryl didn't allow himself to enter crazy town with Rick because he held on to his hope, and that hope was how much hope that Carol had for Lil' asskicker. At least I think that's what fueled him, and that's why in the beginning there I kept seeing Daryl and Maggie stuck on the side of the road and just comforted one another. I figured they'd had to talk about something in the hours that they were gone on that run, and had to run into some struggle.**_

 _ **So clearly in the flashbacks, I'm making Daryl a bit more open to touch. But in cannon, he is capable of touch, and being overwhelmed really, I'm just moving that up a bit, also moving it up that he can see the leader within. Or the potential within. Because in some ways those left were looking to Daryl when Rick went to crazy town. In some sense.**_

 _ **Since I had to cut this in half, there will be another chapter shortly, maybe before the weekend. Enjoy, and let me know what you think. I always love to hear back.**_


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